EPA Limits Remain on 'Forever Chemicals' – For Now. See What's In Your Drinking Water.
By: USA Today
Mar 28, 2025
More than 37 million Americans are currently drinking water that contains levels of PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals”—that exceed federal safety limits, based on an analysis of newly released Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data by USA TODAY. This data release, the first update under the Trump administration, was delayed by over a month and came at a time when the EPA is undergoing significant regulatory rollbacks. These include relaxed emissions rules for power plants, reduced Clean Water Act protections, and reconsideration of vehicle emissions standards. Despite these shifts, the EPA’s PFAS monitoring program remains active, continuing to track nearly 30 types of these long-lasting, harmful substances in public water systems.
PFAS chemicals are particularly concerning because they do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in the human body, potentially causing cancer and other serious health problems. The number of drinking water systems reporting levels above the new PFAS limits continues to grow with each data update. Currently, 667 systems have exceeded the limits set a year ago, requiring them to either abandon contaminated wells or install advanced filtration by 2029. Clean water advocates worry these requirements may be weakened or delayed, especially amid lawsuits from utilities and a broader deregulatory trend at the agency.
Even if the PFAS standards remain unchanged, the number of affected utilities is expected to rise significantly as more testing results are submitted. The EPA previously estimated that as many as 6,000 water systems could be impacted, potentially protecting up to 100 million Americans. However, only partial data has been received from many municipalities, meaning the full scope of contamination is not yet known. Clean water advocates fear the EPA may eventually revise the limits to be less strict, undermining protections put in place just last year.
Former EPA official Betsy Southerland, who spent over 30 years at the agency, expressed deep concern that the PFAS standards may soon be rewritten to be more lenient. She called the potential rollback “a heartbreak for everybody,” emphasizing the growing risk posed by these toxic chemicals. Although the recent PFAS limits have not yet been repealed, Southerland believes changes are likely imminent. The EPA has not confirmed any specific plans, only stating it is “reviewing the rule to inform next steps.” The agency also reiterated its commitment to working with states and ensuring access to safe drinking water through funding and statutory tools.
One major challenge is the scope of PFAS contamination: the EPA currently regulates only six of the thousands of known PFAS chemicals. Yet, as Southerland explained, treating for those six often reduces levels of many unregulated variants as well. Still, the EPA’s own data summary on this co-occurrence was significantly reduced in its latest update, raising questions about transparency. Without broader regulation and comprehensive data, efforts to address the widespread threat of PFAS in drinking water may fall short of ensuring public safety.
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