As the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency will require lower maximum contaminant levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water by 2029, an advocacy group has established a map to show what PFAS levels look like across the state. 

Sydney Evans, a scientist with the Environmental Working Group, said PFAS exists across many municipalities in New York. 

“I would hazard a guess that even in places that maybe don’t have monitoring yet, there is a good chance that PFAS could be detected in your drinking water. That’s just the reality of the situation. The concentration might change, but if I had to put money on it, I would assume PFAS is going to be present,” Evans said. 

Currently, state law says that the maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in drinking water is 10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has new regulations that will bring that down to 4 ppt for both chemicals by 2029. Municipalities that need it can apply for an extension until 2031.  

A bill passed by the state Senate and Assembly this year that, if signed by the governor, would codify these restrictions in state law as well. The state bill would establish restrictions for other forever chemicals, including a limit of 10 ppt for PFNA, PFHxS and HFPO-DA. 

PFAS chemicals are a group of thousands of chemicals that are known for their water-repelling and non-stick properties, often found on clothing and household items. PFOA and PFOS are two of the most studied of the group and are linked to human health impacts such as reduced fertility, decreased immune function and increased risk of certain cancers, according to the EPA. 

“They last really long in the environment. They don’t break down, they spread and they bioaccumulate in people and those concentrations, even really, really tiny ones are linked to long-term health risks,” Evans said. 

When PFOA and PFOS came under scrutiny, Evans said companies created substitutes.  

“It was a classic case of regrettable substitution, where instead companies started making a bunch of other PFAS that have slightly different structures and slightly different names but ultimately, the concerns are the same,” she said. 

PFAS gets into drinking water for a variety of reasons, but there are ways people can protect themselves, Evans said. 

“If your utility doesn’t already use some kind of filtration for specific PFAS, home filters can remove PFAS as well, including reserve osmosis is the most effective but carbon filters, like your classic countertop pitcher filters are all effective as well,” she said. 

While PFAS is detected in most drinking water around the state, Evans said areas near “industrial discharges” are more likely to see high levels of PFAS.  

“The highest concentration where you’re going to see those really, really high concentrations are going to be close to the sources of discharges so industries that are manufacturing PFAS or PFAS-latten products,” she said.  

The New York state Department of Health is responsible for overseeing testing of PFAS in drinking water as well as determining the standards for levels of the chemicals.  

“In 2020, New York state became one of the first states to set its own health-based, feasible and enforceable standards for PFOA and PFOS. These standards have allowed the Department of Health to develop a highly successful drinking water regulatory program to identify public water systems with elevated PFOA and PFOS and take action to reduce the levels to limit exposure and prevent health risks,” said Erin Clary, a spokesperson for the department in a statement.

Most recently, Clary said the department is piloting a PFAS testing program for private wells. Residents in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties can apply to have their private wells tested for PFAS levels then they can either connect to the public water system or implement technology to reduce PFAS levels.

In 2024, 4,136 public water systems had violations which was an 11% increase from 2023, according to the DOH website.  

The Onondaga County Water Authority gets water from Skaneateles, Otisco and Ontario lakes to provide drinking water to five counties within Central New York. Executive Director Jeff Brown said the levels of PFAS from the three lakes already come in very low prior to treatment. 

“We start from a very good position here in Central New York and then we treat. We have a filtration system that uses granular activated carbon. That is the best available technology to deal with PFAS,” Brown said. 

He said they implemented the technology 25 years ago. 

“I know a lot of other water systems are now having to put it in to deal with PFAS. We’ve been ahead of the game and have been utilizing it for a significant period of time,” Brown said.  

Because of this, he said that OCWA’s PFAS levels are already well below what will be mandated by the EPA at 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS. 

“Our average PFAS is less than 2 parts per trillion,” Brown said. “To put that into perspective, a part per trillion, if you look at it from a time perspective, it’s equivalent to one second in 32,000 years.” 

OCWA also tests its water for PFAS every month, even though it is only required to test once annually, Brown said. For municipalities that haven’t implemented the technology, the MCL limits could be a challenge. 

“It’s definitely a very expensive endeavor. I know that some smaller water systems are really going to struggle meeting that goal,” he said.  

Brown would like to see funding come from companies that created the chemicals. 

“I think the thing they can do is make sure that the polluter pays. We have to stop it at the discharge point. Water systems are not the one who put PFAS in. We are simply at the tail end of getting it out, so I think the government needs to focus on that polluter pays principle and make sure that we stop PFAS from getting into our water systems,” Brown said. 

State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of PFAS last week, partly because of their contamination of the state’s drinking water.