70 Million Americans Drink Water from Systems Reporting PFAS to EPA. Is Yours On Our Map?

At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" were found at levels that require reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

That's according to new data the EPA released in its ongoing 5-year review of water systems across the nation. The number will almost certainly grow as new reports are released every three months. 

PFAS can lead to serious health problems, including increased risk of some cancers, if people are exposed to them over a long period of time. Even at very low doses, PFAS can pose health risks. 

The EPA’s minimum reporting level – the lowest concentrations reliably measured by most laboratories – for some PFAS are measured in parts per trillion. The current thresholds are near zero, replacing older limits that were higher and didn’t detect smaller concentrations of PFAS, said Shalene Thomas, a PFAS industry expert and emerging contaminants program manager at Battelle, a nonprofit research institute.