Facts About PFAS

Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Overview and Current Activities

PFAS are a group of over 6,000 man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in home consumer products such as carpets, clothing, food packaging, and cookware since the 1940s. Two of these compounds—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—have been the most extensively produced and studied, and there is evidence that exposure to elevated levels of PFAS can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans. Water utilities are passive receivers of PFAS compounds, which are used in firefighting foam, industrial processes, and consumer products. Most humans are exposed to PFAS through food and consumer products while drinking water makes up a small portion of their total exposure. 

Due to decades of use, PFAS are everywhere in the environment. Industrial sites might release PFAS into the water or air. Consumer and household products containing PFAS enter landfills and are washed down the drain. Because of their chemical composition, PFAS do not break down naturally and can be found throughout the environment in surface water, groundwater, air, and soil. They build up in the environment over time, eventually entering our bodies through food and drinking water.

On April 10, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the National Drinking Water Standards for 6 types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Removing PFAS at the source is key to ensuring the community has high-quality water at affordable rates. Click here to view Fairfax Water's statement on the proposed regulations. 

To learn more, check out these PFAS Factsheets:

• PFAS 101: What you need to know about the "forever chemicals"
• What to know about PFAS

Regulations for PFAS

The EPA is responsible for setting regulatory limits under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and has taken some recent steps towards the regulation of PFAS.

• In August 2022, the US EPA announced a proposal to designate PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).\
   
• In March 2023, EPA announced proposed PFAS standards for 6 types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
   
• In April 2024, the EPA finalized the National Drinking Water Standards for 6 types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Fairfax Water will evaluate the ability of our existing treatment processes to meet the EPA’s proposed regulations. Click here to view Fairfax Water's statement on the proposed regulations.

EPA’s PFAS Standards

On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced final national primary drinking water standards for six types of PFAS, including Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane-sulfonic acid (PFHxS), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX chemicals), PFOA and PFOS. The standard also establishes a hazard index (HI) for a mixture of two or more of the following: PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). 

According to the EPA, public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs. Fairfax Water will ensure that our water meets these standards.

Our data shows that the PFNA, HFPO-DA (commonly known as GenX chemicals), PFHxS, and PFBS levels in our water are all below the MCLs and HI. PFOA and PFOS results for Potomac treated water are less than the MCL of 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt). PFOA and PFOS results for the Griffith Water Treatment Plant, which treats water from the Occoquan Reservoir, are slightly above the MCL of 4.0 ppt. Fairfax Water is evaluating treatment processes to ensure that our water will meet these standards.

Below is a summary of Fairfax Water’s PFAS data. For a detailed report of all Fairfax Water PFAS data, click here.  More data will be posted as it is collected.  

*MCL does not go into effect until 2029

[1] Running Annual Averages calculated in accordance with EPA PFAS Rule guidelines   

Fairfax Water’s Next Steps

• Fairfax Water has been studying treatment alternatives to remove PFAS at the Griffith Treatment Plant (which treats water from the Occoquan Reservoir) to comply with the PFOA and PFOS MCL. 

• Fairfax Water is actively engaged in identifying PFAS sources within our water supplies.  Fairfax Water has funded a study of the Occoquan watershed and is participating with regional partners in a study of the Potomac watershed. 

• PFAS occurrence testing will continue on a quarterly basis.

• We will be collecting PFAS samples in 2024 for the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5).

Reducing Your Exposure to PFAS

• Support efforts to protect drinking water sources and keep PFAS out of water supplies
   
• Read ingredient lists and choose products without PTFE or perfluoro- or polyfluor- in their names. Many companies are working to remove PFAS from their products; however, until the removal is complete, products including nonstick cookware (e.g., Teflon™), stain repellants (e.g., Scotchgard™), and water proofing (e.g., GORE-TEX™) may have PFAS. PFAS are also found in certain types of dental floss, nail polish, facial moisturizers, eye make-up, and more. Here are a few PFAS ingredients to avoid:
  • polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
  • perfluorononyl dimethicone
  • perfluorodecalin
  • C9-15 fluoroalcohol phosphate
  • octafluoropentyl methacrylate
  • perfluorohexane
  • pentafluoropropane
  • polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy difluoroethyl peg phosphate
  • polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy peg-2 phosphate
  • methyl perfluorobutyl ether
  • perfluorononylethyl carboxydecyl Peg-10 dimethicone
  • perfluorodimethylcyclohexane
     
• Cook with stainless steel, cast-iron, glass, or ceramics. Try not to use nonstick cookware
   
• Look for coats, hats, and boots labeled “water-resistant.” They are less likely to have PFAS than waterproof products
   
• Avoid ordering food in grease-resistant wrappers or containers
   
• Avoid carpets and upholstery treated to be stain or water-resistant; decline stain treatment
   
• Ask manufacturers if their products have PFAS. These chemicals are often not listed. However, given that many PFAS cannot be measured yet, products cannot be confirmed “PFAS-free”

Additional Information

• EPA’s PFAS Information: https://www.epa.gov/pfas
• Virginia Department of Health: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/pfas/
• American Water Works Association (AWWA): https://drinktap.org/Water-Info/Whats-in-My-Water/Per-and-Polyfluoroalkyl-Substances

Updated June 26, 2024