On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards to limit exposure to chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

As recent as last week, the maximum contamination level for PFAS set by the US Environmental Protection Agency was associated with several health issues, including cancer.

Now, drinking water providers must test for these contaminants by 2027 and reduce their levels to nearly non-existent by 2029. 

According to health advocates, a national standard for PFAS is a victory for public health nationwide. 

"Because PFAS are toxic in very low amounts, it's hard to overstate the public health impact of these new rules," Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, which works extensively with PFAS issues, said. 

In a news release, she claimed that getting these PFAS out of drinking water will prevent thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of cases of serious health harm like cardiovascular disease, bladder cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and reproductive harm like preeclampsia and low birth weights. 

She added that these new limits will save lives. 

However, some Alabama water systems might struggle to meet the stricter regulations. 

According to records filed with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, at least four water systems in Alabama have recorded PFAS values as high as 40 parts per trillion since 2020. That amounts to ten times the new EPA limit. 

David Garrett, general manager of the Centre Water Works, a water system that has long struggled with PFAS issues, said they were looking at all options. 

Specialized filters must be installed to address PFAS chemicals because standard water treatment processes do not remove them.

The two most popular PFAS filters are reverse osmosis, which forces water through a narrow membrane that traps the chemicals, and activated carbon filters, which use carbon to remove PFAS particles.