Across the country, drinking water supplied by public water systems has been found to be contaminated by toxic chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. PFAS, including PFOS and PFOA, are persistent organic pollutants that are also known as “forever chemicals” because they can take thousands of years to break down in the environment.

Researchers have linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to serious health risks, including increased risks of certain kinds of cancer, increased cholesterol levels, pregnancy complications, and decreases in infant birth weights.

5 Steps to Take When Your Water Is Contaminated With PFAS

Perhaps you received a notice from your public water system that PFAS contamination of drinking water has been found in your area. Alternatively, you or a family member might have developed worrying but unexplained symptoms or health conditions, and the possibility of PFAS contamination of your drinking water has come to mind as a potential cause.

Whatever the case, you should take action promptly to minimize any further exposure to these toxic chemicals and protect and preserve your health and your legal rights.

1. Find Out as Much as You Can About Your Exposure to PFAS in Drinking Water.

If you haven’t been notified of contamination but you have reason to be concerned, contact your local water utility or your state or municipal health department. There may have been a notice that you missed. These notices don’t always make clear the extent of the problem that is being reported or how it can affect your health, so busy residents may not realize that these aren’t standard reports and that something is actually wrong.

In some cases, no PFAS contamination is known—but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear.

If the contamination hasn’t been discovered yet because the water hasn’t been tested for PFAS yet, it’s difficult to determine if the symptoms or health conditions you and those around you have suffered are related to chemical exposure or not. If this is the case, your efforts could help bring PFAS drinking water contamination to light. A disproportionately large concentration of a certain disease or type of disorder or of similar or related symptoms in an area sharing the same water supply could suggest PFAS contamination.

2. Take Seriously Any Notice of Drinking Water Contamination You Receive.

Once you’ve confirmed that your area is affected, take this revelation seriously. Too many people believe they aren’t at risk for suffering harm from contaminated drinking water, when that’s not the case.

Don’t assume that a filtration system built into refrigerators, in pitchers, or installed on the whole-house water supply system protects you from the risks posed by PFAS contamination. According to an alarming Duke University study published in February 2020, popular household filters “may not remove all of the drinking water contaminants you’re most concerned about.” In the case of PFAS, these filters “can even make the situation worse” in some instances.

3. Find Alternatives to Drinking Contaminated Water.

What can you do when you determine that your drinking water supply isn’t safe? Obviously, you need water for your daily life, including for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning.

For a short-term solution, consider purchasing some sort of bottled water for immediate use—but be selective about the water you choose.

Consumer Reports determined in 2020 that “most” of the non-carbonated bottled water products the company tested “had detectable levels of PFAS.” A subsequent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and published in the journal Water Research concluded that 39 out of the 101 products researchers tested contained PFAS at levels in excess of the study’s method detection limits.

Consumer Reports recommended choosing “purified” water, which has been treated with reverse osmosis filtration technology, over “spring” water.

Constantly using purified bottled water is neither affordable nor environmentally sustainable. For a longer-term strategy, residents of communities affected by FPAS drinking water contamination should consider options for filtering PFAS out of their water supply. The kinds of filters that have been shown to be effective for PFAS include:

• Granular activated carbon filters

• Solid carbon block filters

• Reverse osmosis technology

The PFAS-Exchange, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, contains information about the different types of filters for removing PFAS from drinking water and their pros and cons.

4. Talk to Your Doctor.

Every member of your family that has been exposed to PFAS-contaminated water should speak to their physicians about the risks posed by contaminated drinking water. In preparation for your appointment, make a list of any symptoms you or your family members have developed. Be prepared to discuss with your doctor any tests or screenings that may be right for you.

Every person is unique in their risks and health situation. Knowing that you have been exposed to PFAS-contaminated drinking water may be the clue that helps your doctor reach a definitive diagnosis when your symptoms otherwise had no clear cause. In some cases, such as if you have a family history or other personal risk factors for a disease or disorder that has been linked to PFAS exposure, your doctor may recommend additional screenings based on your personal risk factors that another patient may not need.

If nothing else, it’s important that you undergo the blood tests that are typically ordered as part of a routine wellness exam.

5. Let a PFAS Contamination Attorney Review Your Case at No Charge.

Residents of communities affected by PFAS may have the grounds for legal action against a company that is responsible for the contamination of the water supply.