Forever chemicals found in tap water for 197 million as EPA moves to drop four limits

Toxic "forever chemicals" have turned up in drinking water systems that serve about 197 million Americans. That is 23 million more people than federal testing alone had found, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental research group ¹. The group reviewed testing data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and from the states ¹.

The findings came out last week, while the Trump administration is working to weaken the first national limits on these chemicals in tap water ¹. The EPA wants to scrap the limits for four of the six chemicals covered by a 2024 rule. It also wants to let some water systems wait longer to meet the limits on the other two ²³.

What the new numbers show

The chemicals are called PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. People call them forever chemicals because they break down very slowly. They are used in products like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabric. They have been linked to cancer, immune problems and reproductive harm ¹.

The count includes every water system where PFAS were found at all, not only systems over the federal limits ¹. The analysis also does not mean contamination is getting worse. Testing has improved, and some older PFAS are showing up at lower levels since manufacturers phased them out ¹.

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Even so, EWG's chief science officer, David Andrews, said scientists have found health risks at very low levels ¹. "The good news is that concentrations have come down a little bit," he told WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina, adding that the levels are still in a worrying range ¹.

Ultimately, it's passing the cost of the health effects and the health harms on to the public,

What the EPA wants to change

In April 2024, the EPA set the first enforceable national drinking water limits for six PFAS. Water systems had until April 2029 to comply ². The rule set a limit of 4 parts per trillion for the two best-known chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. It set a limit of 10 parts per trillion for four others: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX ⁴.

On May 18, 2026, the EPA proposed two changes ²³. The first would cancel the limits on PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, plus a combined limit on mixtures of those three and PFBS ². The second would keep the PFOA and PFOS limits but let some utilities apply for two more years to meet them, until 2031 ³. Public comments closed July 20, and neither change is final yet ².

The EPA says it is cancelling the four limits to correct what it describes as an unlawful process in how they were first adopted ². EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency wanted to follow the law and the science ³. He said the four chemicals were not being reconsidered because they are unimportant, and that they might still warrant strict standards ³. The agency also announced $1 billion in new grants for small or disadvantaged communities dealing with contaminated water ³.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on calling the change a "rollback" ³. That puts his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign in an awkward spot.

Democrats, and one Republican, push back

Twenty-six Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Adam Schiff of California, wrote to Zeldin in August asking him to withdraw the plan ⁶. They pointed to a section of the Safe Drinking Water Act that says any revision of a standard "shall maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons" ⁶. In other words, the law is written to stop backsliding.

In the House, the pushback has come from both parties. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, lead the Congressional PFAS Task Force ⁴. In a joint statement, they said the chemicals are found in the blood of nearly 98% of Americans ⁴.

America should be moving faster to get PFAS out of our drinking water—not giving families

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, mentioned Flint, Oscoda and Grayling as Michigan communities that have lost access to safe drinking water ⁵.

PFAS, or forever chemicals, poison our water, our soil, and our bodies and they don't go away.

The courts are still weighing the 2024 rule

Water utility groups sued over the 2024 rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ⁷. In January, a three-judge panel turned down the EPA's request to throw out the four limits quickly, without a full review. That leaves all six limits in place while the case goes on ⁷.

That matters because, for now, the law on the books is the stronger 2024 rule. If the EPA finalizes its plan, Andrews worries that some water systems could lose the federal requirement to install treatment ¹. He also said the cost of health problems would land on ordinary people instead of the polluters. "This is contamination caused by an industry that profited off these chemicals," Andrews said ¹.

There are steps you can take at home. Andrews said activated carbon and reverse osmosis filters can cut exposure, but they vary in how well they work. He advised buying filters certified for PFAS and changing them on schedule ¹. You can also ask your water provider for its PFAS test results ¹.

The Record

1. Apr 10, 2024EPA finalizes the first national drinking water limits for six PFAS, with compliance due by April 2029 ².
2. Jan 21, 2026A federal appeals court panel refuses EPA's request to quickly throw out limits on four PFAS, leaving all six limits in place ⁷.
3. May 18, 2026EPA proposes cancelling the limits on four PFAS and letting some utilities delay the PFOA and PFOS limits to 2031 ²³.
4. Aug 5, 2026Sen. Adam Schiff and 25 other Senate Democrats urge EPA to withdraw the plan ⁶.
5. Nov 6, 2026An EWG analysis finds PFAS in water systems serving about 197 million Americans ¹.

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<h2>Forever chemicals found in tap water for 197 million as EPA moves to drop four limits</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/forever-chemicals-found-in-tap-water-for-197-million-as-epa-moves-to-drop-four-limits">The GOP Files</a> on Monday, November 9, 2026.</em></p> <p>Toxic &quot;forever chemicals&quot; have turned up in drinking water systems that serve about 197 million Americans. That is 23 million more people than federal testing alone had found, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental research group . The group reviewed testing data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and from the states .</p> <p>The findings came out last week, while the Trump administration is working to weaken the first national limits on these chemicals in tap water . The EPA wants to scrap the limits for four of the six chemicals covered by a 2024 rule. It also wants to let some water systems wait longer to meet the limits on the other two .</p> <h2>What the new numbers show</h2> <p>The chemicals are called PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. People call them forever chemicals because they break down very slowly. They are used in products like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabric. They have been linked to cancer, immune problems and reproductive harm .</p> <p>The count includes every water system where PFAS were found at all, not only systems over the federal limits . The analysis also does not mean contamination is getting worse. Testing has improved, and some older PFAS are showing up at lower levels since manufacturers phased them out .</p> <p>Even so, EWG&#39;s chief science officer, David Andrews, said scientists have found health risks at very low levels . &quot;The good news is that concentrations have come down a little bit,&quot; he told WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina, adding that the levels are still in a worrying range .</p> <blockquote><p>Ultimately, it&#39;s passing the cost of the health effects and the health harms on to the public,</p><p>&mdash; David Andrews, chief science officer, Environmental Working Group</p></blockquote> <h2>What the EPA wants to change</h2> <p>In April 2024, the EPA set the first enforceable national drinking water limits for six PFAS. Water systems had until April 2029 to comply . The rule set a limit of 4 parts per trillion for the two best-known chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. It set a limit of 10 parts per trillion for four others: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX .</p> <p>On May 18, 2026, the EPA proposed two changes . The first would cancel the limits on PFHxS, PFNA and GenX, plus a combined limit on mixtures of those three and PFBS . The second would keep the PFOA and PFOS limits but let some utilities apply for two more years to meet them, until 2031 . Public comments closed July 20, and neither change is final yet .</p> <p>The EPA says it is cancelling the four limits to correct what it describes as an unlawful process in how they were first adopted . EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency wanted to follow the law and the science . He said the four chemicals were not being reconsidered because they are unimportant, and that they might still warrant strict standards . The agency also announced $1 billion in new grants for small or disadvantaged communities dealing with contaminated water .</p> <p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on calling the change a &quot;rollback&quot; . That puts his &quot;Make America Healthy Again&quot; campaign in an awkward spot.</p> <h2>Democrats, and one Republican, push back</h2> <p>Twenty-six Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Adam Schiff of California, wrote to Zeldin in August asking him to withdraw the plan . They pointed to a section of the Safe Drinking Water Act that says any revision of a standard &quot;shall maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons&quot; . In other words, the law is written to stop backsliding.</p> <p>In the House, the pushback has come from both parties. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, lead the Congressional PFAS Task Force . In a joint statement, they said the chemicals are found in the blood of nearly 98% of Americans .</p> <blockquote><p>America should be moving faster to get PFAS out of our drinking water—not giving families</p><p>&mdash; Debbie Dingell, U.S. representative, D-Mich., co-chair of the Congressional PFAS Task Force (joint statement with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.)</p></blockquote> <p>Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, mentioned Flint, Oscoda and Grayling as Michigan communities that have lost access to safe drinking water .</p> <blockquote><p>PFAS, or forever chemicals, poison our water, our soil, and our bodies and they don&#39;t go away.</p><p>&mdash; Elissa Slotkin, U.S. senator, D-Mich.</p></blockquote> <h2>The courts are still weighing the 2024 rule</h2> <p>Water utility groups sued over the 2024 rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit . In January, a three-judge panel turned down the EPA&#39;s request to throw out the four limits quickly, without a full review. That leaves all six limits in place while the case goes on .</p> <p>That matters because, for now, the law on the books is the stronger 2024 rule. If the EPA finalizes its plan, Andrews worries that some water systems could lose the federal requirement to install treatment . He also said the cost of health problems would land on ordinary people instead of the polluters. &quot;This is contamination caused by an industry that profited off these chemicals,&quot; Andrews said .</p> <p>There are steps you can take at home. Andrews said activated carbon and reverse osmosis filters can cut exposure, but they vary in how well they work. He advised buying filters certified for PFAS and changing them on schedule . You can also ask your water provider for its PFAS test results .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/forever-chemicals-found-in-tap-water-for-197-million-as-epa-moves-to-drop-four-limits">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/forever-chemicals-found-in-tap-water-for-197-million-as-epa-moves-to-drop-four-limits.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. WRAL, “Forever chemicals found in water serving 197 million as EPA eyes rollbacks” (2026-11-06). wral.com/news/local/forever-chemicals-new-testing-november-2
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Proposed PFAS Rescission Rule” (2026-05-18). epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfas-rescission-rule
3. Waste Dive, “EPA to formally rescind certain PFAS drinking water regulations” (2026-05-19). wastedive.com/news/epa-rescind-pfas-drinking-water-regulatio
4. Office of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, “Fitzpatrick, Dingell Push Back on Proposed Rollback of PFAS Drinking Water Protections” (2026-05-18). fitzpatrick.house.gov/2026/5/fitzpatrick-dingell
5. Office of Sen. Elissa Slotkin, “Slotkin Statement on Trump Administration's Decision to Roll Back Limits on Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water” (2026-05-19). slotkin.senate.gov/2026/05/19/slotkin-statement-on-trump-adm
6. Office of Sen. Adam Schiff, “Sen. Schiff Leads 25 Colleagues in Push to EPA to Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans” (2026-08-05). schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-leads-
7. Liskow & Lewis, “D.C. Circuit Rejects EPA's Bid to Partially Vacate PFAS Drinking Water Rule” (2026-01-23). liskow.com/insights/d-c-circuit-rejects-epas-bid-to-partiall

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