PFAS in dozens of Rhode Island drinking water systems above EPA standards

PROVIDENCE – About 30 additional public drinking water systems in Rhode Island may need to install systems to filter out so-called “forever chemicals” that have been linked to cancers and other health problems under new federal rules announced this week.

The number comes on top of the 14 water systems in Rhode Island that are already working on treatment plans after tests of drinking water samples found levels of per- and polyfluorolalkyl substances, or PFAS, that exceeded a state standard passed into law two years ago, according to the state Department of Health.

Water lines are installed in a neighborhood in Burrillville in 2019 after the town's drinking water was contaminated with PFAS from firefighting foam. [Bob Breidenbach/The Providence Journal, file]

What are ‘forever chemicals’?

The dangers of PFAS, which are used in everything from firefighting foam to cookware to coatings on rain jackets, have long been suspected. Recent studies have associated exposure to the substances with developmental delays in children, immune-system problems and kidney, testicular and prostate cancers. The chemicals, which get their “forever” moniker because they don’t break down in the environment, are known for tainting groundwater supplies, most commonly through the use of foams to control fires containing flammable liquids.

Eight years ago, in the absence of action at the federal level, states started stepping in to regulate limits of the toxic chemicals in drinking water. Rhode Island became one of the latest in 2022 when the General Assembly passed a law regulating some of the most common substances in the PFAS family.

Last year, in response to longstanding calls for a national standard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed legally binding limits on the same six PFAS chemicals in the Rhode Island law, as well as two others that are not common in the state. The agency announced the adoption of the rules on Wednesday – for the first time requiring water systems to remove them from supplies.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-RI, described the action as “historic.”

“Every American should be able to turn on their tap and access clean, safe drinking water,” he said in a statement.

Federal rules will supplement state law on PFAS

The federal rules do not supersede Rhode Island law, according to the state Health Department.

“Public water systems will need to meet the requirements of both the state PFAS law and the EPA regulations,” said Health Department spokesman Joseph Wendelken. “Rhode Islanders will be protected from a total of eight PFAS chemicals in their drinking water.”

Similarly, the federal rules will also supplement how the state Department of Environmental Management regulates groundwater, expanding the list of compounds overseen by the agency, said spokesman Michael Healey.

More:70 million Americans drink water from systems reporting PFAS to EPA. Is yours on our map?

Although water systems are required to come into compliance with the new federal regulations, they won’t have to take immediate action. Under the EPA regulations, public water systems will have three years to monitor for PFAS and inform residents of the results. They will need to lower levels of the chemicals below the regulatory standard within five years.

Wendelken said the Health Department is working with water systems to provide technical assistance and access to funding to address PFAS in drinking water. Filtration systems can range from half a million dollars into the millions, according to previous estimates by the department.

The department’s Center for Drinking Water Quality will be communicating with public water systems about next steps, including reminders of funding opportunities for public water systems, he said.

The federal government is providing billions of dollars to drinking water systems across the country to help them meet the new requirements. Rhode Island has received $18.9 million so far from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically to address drinking water contamination and is set to get another $9.5 million this fiscal year.

In addition, the state is getting another $25.8 million in funding for more general drinking water improvements that can also be used to address PFAS problems, according to the EPA.

Remediation underway at water systems with PFAS levels above state limits

The Rhode Island PFAS law required all 170 of the state’s major drinking water suppliers to test for the chemicals by July 1 last year and report their results to the Health Department by Aug. 10. The systems used by the vast majority of people in Rhode Island were found to be in compliance with the state standard. Additionally, more than half the systems did not detect any levels of PFAS.

However, levels were found to exceed the standard in 14 water systems, which collectively serve about 3% of the state’s population that uses public water supplies. In some cases, consumers’ exposure to PFAS may not match testing levels because systems blend water from multiple wells. That’s the case at the University of Rhode Island, the largest system that detected levels above the state standard.

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