New Initiative Targets Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water
Federal officials launch PFAS OUT to provide technical support and funding for water systems facing contamination challenges.
EPA officials announced a new initiative Tuesday aimed at helping local communities remove “forever chemicals” from their drinking water supplies ahead of federal deadlines.
The program, titled PFAS OUTreach or “PFAS OUT,” focuses on reducing exposure to PFOA and PFOS. These two specific compounds are among the most studied in the broad category of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are linked to various health risks.
According to EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer, the initiative seeks to engage directly with approximately 3,000 drinking water systems identified as having known contamination challenges. While these systems represent only about 2% of the nation’s water infrastructure, they face the most immediate hurdles in meeting safety standards.
PFAS OUT functions as a proactive resource hub, offering interactive, location-specific webinars and guidance on how to secure federal funding. The program is designed to assist small, rural and disadvantaged water systems that often lack the administrative staff or budget to navigate complex engineering and regulatory requirements.
“Through PFAS OUT, EPA will help protect public health by proactively engaging with water systems, states and other partners to address drinking water contamination,” Kramer said.
The initiative also integrates with existing technical assistance programs, such as Real WaterTA, to provide engineering expertise to local utilities. By starting these projects now, officials say communities can achieve full compliance with enforceable drinking water standards well before the mandatory deadlines.
This announcement follows the recent release of the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List. That broader roadmap identifies dozens of other emerging threats to water quality, including microplastics and pharmaceuticals, which the agency continues to monitor for future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is Assistant Editor of EPOnline.com.
