What to Know About the EPA’s Announcement on Forever Chemicals in NC Tap Water
What to Know About the EPA’s Announcement on Forever Chemicals in NC Tap Water
The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, recently released a final regulation on nonstick, stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water. Even at low or undetectable levels, these compounds — called forever chemicals, like PFOA, PFOS and GenX — can pose serious health risks. Wondering what this means for your water and what you can do about it? Here’s the info you need.
What Are Forever Chemicals?
PFOA, PFOS and GenX are part of a larger classification of chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re also termed “forever chemicals,” due to their persistence (they rarely break down because their chemical bonds are so strong). Associated health issues include a greater risk of certain cancers and the potential for reduced birth weight for infants.
Where do these toxic forever chemicals come from? Forever chemicals are used in the production of many household items — nonstick frying pans, water-repellant sports gear, cleaning products, microwave popcorn bags, cosmetics, firefighting foam and more.
As a result of their heavy use, forever chemicals have made their way into our environment and bodies of water. While companies have started phasing out or limiting PFAS use in products, due to how slowly these chemicals degrade, once we drink them, they can remain in our bloodstreams indefinitely.
What to Know About the EPA’s New PFAS Regulations
In April 2024, the EPA set the first-ever legally enforceable limits for PFAS levels in water as part of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). These new standards will go into effect nationwide, though public water systems have until 2029 to meet the established PFAS regulations.
This final rule sets Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six PFAS chemicals in drinking water: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX), along with MCLs for PFAS mixtures where there are co-occurring levels of forever chemicals. The EPA estimates that the new standards for drinking water will limit exposure for approximately 100 million people and prevent thousands of deaths and illnesses across the US.
Homeowners should keep in mind that despite the new regulations — set to limit people’s PFAS exposure within viable frameworks of public water treatment — the EPA also set health-based, non-enforceable recommendations stating that NO amount of PFOA and PFOS in your water is considered safe.
Translation: your tap water will be cleaner in coming years, though it still poses health risks due to forever chemicals (many of which are known carcinogens) alongside other man-made contaminants such as microplastics, chlorine and heavy metals.
PFAS Contaminant Level Limits
Below are the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for PFAS compounds in public drinking water, as set by the EPA.
| Compound | Final MCL (enforceable) | Final MCLG (non-enforceable) |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) | Zero |
| PFOS | 4.0 ppt | Zero |
| PFHxS | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
Effects of Drinking PFAS-Contaminated Water
Even at low concentrations, exposure to forever chemicals can seriously harm your health. Over time, these chemicals accumulate in your bloodstream and vital organs, taking upwards of 15 years to break down assuming no additional contact.
Scientific research is ongoing, but studies suggest that PFAS exposure:
- Disrupts your body’s natural hormones and thyroid function
- Compromises your immune system’s ability to fight infection
- Causes developmental issues in children, such as low birth weight
- Increases likelihood of certain cancers, including thyroid, prostate, kidney and testicular
- Raises cholesterol
- Causes liver damage through long-term chemical accumulation
- Decreases fertility in men and raises blood pressure in women who are pregnant
In addition to getting proper water treatment at home, if you’re concerned about your PFAS exposure, the Silent Spring Institute created a quick guide to getting a PFAS blood test.
NC Regions With the Highest PFAS Levels
North Carolina and much of the east coast’s water supply are heavily contaminated with forever chemicals. As part of an ongoing commitment to tracking and improving homeowner water quality, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created an interactive map showing PFAS contamination throughout the United States.
The table below lists the average maximum contaminant levels of PFAS in NC water measured in parts per trillion (ppt). Many of these numbers are significantly higher than the EPA’s new MCLs for regulated compounds, especially for cities like Pittsboro and Greensboro. While we can expect PFAS levels to drop as the 2029 regulation nears, the EPA’s limits only account for six out of the several thousand known forever chemicals.
There are over 5,000 synthetic PFAS compounds contaminating public water, which is why the cumulative levels are so important to track. The EPA has no official guidelines on the total concentration of all PFAS in drinking water, in part because testing methods only exist for a few dozen PFAS, though the EWG has proposed a health standard of 1 ppt based on extensive peer-reviewed studies into PFAS toxicity.
Without proper water treatment at home, there is no way to guarantee your tap water is free from forever chemicals.
PFAS Concentrations in NC Public Water Systems*
| City | Maximum Detected PFAS | Water Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | PFOS: 5.6 ppt PFOA: 3.1 ppt Highest Single Sample: 24 ppt | City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department (Raleigh Water) |
| Durham, NC | PFOS: 8.2 ppt PFOA: 4.3 ppt Highest Single Sample: 46.1 ppt | City of Durham |
| Chapel Hill, NC | PFOS: 19 ppt PFOA: 30 ppt | Orange Water & Sewer Authority |
| Cary, NC | PFOS: 12 ppt PFOA: 8.6 ppt Highest Single Sample: 31 ppt | Town of Cary Utilities Department |
| Greensboro, NC | PFOS: 90 ppt PFOA: 6.1 ppt Highest Single Sample: 124 ppt | City of Greensboro |
| Fayetteville, NC | PFOS: 121 ppt PFOA: 64 ppt Highest Single Sample: 201 ppt | Fayetteville Public Works Commission |
| Wilmington, NC | PFOS: 21 ppt PFOA: 10 ppt | Cape Fear Public Utility Authority – Wilmington |
| Pittsboro, NC | PFOS: 22 ppt PFOA: 24 ppt Highest Single Sample: 845 ppt | Town of Pittsboro |
*Additional public water treatment entities also monitor for PFAS concentrations and their findings are not reflected here unless otherwise noted. The accuracy of this information is subject to change based on evolving science, contamination and water utility treatment methods.
Is NC Water Safe to Drink?
Yes and no. Public water treatment facilities exist in order to make safe drinking water readily available to residents. So yes, your tap water is safe, though it also contains contaminants that can cause long-term health complications, while damaging your hair, skin and even household appliances.
The water from your tap is only so clean given the limitations of both infrastructure and funding. For example, chlorine and chloramine are common agents used in water treatment to kill disease-causing bacteria and microorganisms.
This “safe delivery” guards against disaster, but doesn’t mean your water is free from harmful disinfection chemicals, PFAS, pesticides, hard water minerals, trace metals and many other contaminants.
Additionally, the EPA’s new PFAS guidelines won’t go into effect until 2029, leaving the responsibility on the homeowner to ensure water is properly purified for years to come. As the EPA states directly, even at the revised maximum contaminant levels for PFAS, many of these chemicals pose health risks in any concentration.
Start your journey to clean water today with a free, science-backed Kinetico water analysis.
How to Combat Forever Chemicals in Your Water
Basic filtration systems, like a pitcher filter or those built into a fridge, aren’t typically designed to effectively remove PFAS from your water. Only reverse osmosis water purification can protect you and your family from the harmful effects of toxic forever chemicals for years to come.
At Kinetico, our K5 Reverse Osmosis water purification system has been recognized as the preferred technology for removing PFAS by the state of North Carolina, the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
K5 effectively removes 99.999% of PFAS from water, in comparison to 66% from a Brita pitcher and roughly 50% from the average fridge filter. While some pitcher filters specially target PFAS, they come with a high price tag, slow refill times, require costly replacement filters and, most importantly, ONLY filter drinking water — leaving you open to PFAS exposure from every other tap, whether cooking, bathing or doing laundry.
Worried About Your Drinking Water? Contact Us!
Don’t sacrifice your peace of mind when it comes to your water supply. Schedule a free water analysis to see what contaminants are in your water, or give us a call at (833) 202-2622.