What Are PFAS?
What it is, where it comes from, and what are the impacts on drinking water.
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances)
PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used around the world since the 1940s for many industrial and consumer purposes including the coating of fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foam.
These chemicals can accumulate over time and have been found in both the environment and the human body. They do not break down easily in the environment or the human body and are sometimes called “forever chemicals”.
Of these chemicals, the most extensively produced and studied have been PFOA and PFOS.
How do these chemicals get into the environment?
How these chemicals get into groundwater is still being studied, but PFAS in drinking water usually comes from a nearby source such as a facility where it is produced, used or disposed.
Assessments of potential risks of PFAS in areas tributary to our drinking water supplies was conducted in 2019 in accordance with DPH guidance. Sites that were identified as potential PFAS generators have been prioritized for sanitary inspections by the company.
PFAS can also enter water sources from Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) used for firefighting at military bases and airports.
PFAS Regulations in Maine:
From Maine Drinking Water Program: With the signing of LD 129 on June 21, 2021 by Governor Janet Mills, all community public water systems and non-transient, non-community schools and daycares are required to sample finished water for PFAS before December 31, 2022. An interim standard of 20 ppt for six PFAS chemicals (alone or in combination) is in effect. More information on PFAS and LD 129 can be found on the Maine CDC Drinking Water Program (DWP) new PFAS webpage. The DWP will continue to update the PFAS webpage and sampling guidance as new information becomes available.
PFAS Regulations from the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency):
On April 10, 2024, EPA announced and established the first-ever nationwide, legally enforceable drinking water standards to protect communities from PFAS in their drinking water.
EPA finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing legally enforceable levels, called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for six PFAS in drinking water. PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA as contaminants with individual MCLs, and PFAS mixtures containing at least two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS using a Hazard Index MCL to account for the combined and co-occurring levels of these PFAS in drinking water. EPA also finalized health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these PFAS.
The final rule requires:
- Public water systems must monitor for these PFAS and have three years to complete initial monitoring (by 2027), followed by ongoing compliance monitoring. Water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027.
- Public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs.
- Beginning in five years (2029), public water systems that have PFAS in drinking water which violates one or more of these MCLs must take action to reduce levels of these PFAS in their drinking water and must provide notification to the public of the violation.
Read more about the new rule here:
Maine Water has always been, and will continue to be committed to complying with all EPA Safe Drinking Water Standards including the newly announced federal regulations.
How do PFAS get into the environment?
How these chemicals get into groundwater is still being studied, but PFAS in drinking water usually comes from a nearby source such as a facility where it is produced, used or disposed.
PFAS can also enter water sources from Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) used for firefighting at military bases and airports and fire-fighting training facilities.
Health Effects
Nearly everyone has low levels of PFAS chemicals in their blood (https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/pfas-blood-testing.html), likely from their widespread use in consumer products and food packaging.
PFAS can remain in the human body for a long time, and can build up over time. Because of this, even low levels in drinking water can be a health risk if exposure is long term, but having PFAS exposure or PFAS in your body does not mean you will necessarily have health problems now or in the future.
The advisory guidelines by the EPA are set based on daily exposure to the most vulnerable consumers. If you are a sensitive consumer, including pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants, you may choose to minimize your exposure by not drinking water that has found PFAS in water quality testing. Please be advised, however, that PFAS have been found in some bottled water. Ensure that your bottled water supply is PFAS-free or that you’re utilizing additional at home water treatment measures, as outlined below.
More Information and Fact Sheets:
Maine DEP Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Updates:
https://www1.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/index.html
Maine Drinking Water Program:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/index.shtml
Maine CDC:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/cet/documents/PFASfactsheet.pdf
United States Environmental Protection Agency:
Frequently asked questions about PFAS
Nearly everyone has low levels of PFOS and PFOA in their blood, likely from their widespread use in consumer products and food packaging.
PFAS can remain in the human body for a long time, and can build up over time. Because of this, even low levels in drinking water can be a health risk if exposure is long term, but having PFAS exposure or PFAS in your body does not mean you will necessarily have health problems now or in the future.
The advisory guidelines by the EPA and DPH are set based on daily exposure to the most vulnerable consumers. If you are a sensitive consumer, including pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants, you may choose to minimize your exposure by not drinking water that has found PFAS in water quality testing. Please be advised, however, that PFAS have been found in some bottled water. Ensure that your bottled water supply is PFAS-free or that you’re utilizing additional at home water treatment measures, as outlined below.
If you are concerned about your exposure, you may want to use tap water with non-detect PFAS levels for drinking, cooking, and making infant formula. Even though the risk is very low, you may also want to use water with non-detect PFAS levels for brushing your teeth, washing produce, and cleaning items like dentures or pacifiers. Bottled water has also been found to contain PFAS; please check with the bottled water brand and/or your physician.
It is okay to bathe and shower in water that contains PFAS, as these compounds are not well absorbed through the skin. Boiling water does not lower PFAS levels and is not recommended as it may slightly increase the concentration of PFAS in the water.
You can also use an at home water treatment system that is certified to remove PFAS by an independent testing group such as National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Water Quality Association or the CSA group.
If you have specific health concerns related to PFAS exposure, consult your doctor or health professional.
As EPA, DEP, and the Maine legislature develop further testing protocols, assessment guidelines, and standards, Maine Water will continue to meet any requirements for monitoring and testing of our systems.
Beginning in late 2019, we voluntarily and proactively began testing for PFAS in our drinking water sources using a tiered approach risk assessment. Results associated with this testing can be found at: https://www.mainewater.com/water-quality