How EPA’s plans for PFAS drinking water rule could affect Missouri
PFAS, or Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are used in nearly every single industrial process and are highly resistant to breaking down, which is why they have been dubbed “forever” chemicals.
PFAS are ubiquitous and used in carpet, clothing treatments and even firefighting foams, and also are impacting public health, accumulating in the blood, kidneys and liver of both humans and wildlife, modifying developmental, reproductive and other body systems.
The Environmental Protection Agency considers PFAS and its subcategory chemicals PFOA, PFOS, PFBS and GenX as an emerging contaminant for water systems, including at water sources. It plans to update the water treatment rules by the spring to include mitigation for PFAS if found in water systems.
New water rule compliance starts
Even though EPA will issue its new drinking water rule by the spring, water systems will have upward of three years to comply. This can include development of any mitigation plans water treatment upgrades, wrote Brian Quinn, Missouri Department of Natural Resources information officer.
“Missouri community and nontransient noncommunity public water systems are currently in the process of collecting occurrence data ahead of EPA developing a final drinking water PFAS rule,” he wrote, adding following the 2027 compliance date “water systems will need to perform monitoring for PFAS in accordance with the rule and would need to take corrective actions to ensure any water served to their customers is in compliance with the MCL established in the rule.”
The EPA is looking for 29 PFAS compounds and lithium in Missouri drinking water through two ongoing occurrence studies in Missouri, Quinn noted. DNR is providing a map online of current and past PFAS monitoring efforts.
“The department anticipates having sample results results from all applicable public water systems by the end of 2025,” Quinn wrote. “That will allow systems with elevated results to develop remediation plans either by finding a new source, blending water with a noncontaminated source or adding treatment
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Mitigation funding sources
One revenue source cities could go after for future improvements are those provided through the federal bipartisan infrastructure law.
EPA is proposing a 4 parts per trillion MCL for PFOA and PFOS in particular, Quinn wrote. The nonregulatory interim health advisory for these chemicals, respectively is 0.004 ppt and 0.02 ppt, which is below even what currently available water analysis can detect.
“One part pert trillion is the equivalent of one drop of water in the volume of 20 Olympic-size swimming pools,”
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