John Brundahl (left), production superintendent, Todd Colvin, chief water systems operator, and Mark Toy, general manager, run the PFAS treatment plant at the Yorba Linda Water District in Orange County, Calif. Pien Huang/NPR hide caption
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Following a new EPA rule, public water systems will have five years to address instances where there is too much PFAS in tap water – three years to sample their systems and establish the existing levels of PFAS, and an additional two years to install water treatment technologies if their levels are too high. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
What to know about the new EPA rule limiting 'forever chemicals' in tap water
EPA is limiting PFAS chemicals in drinking water in the U.S. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
EPA puts limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
Eva Stebel, water researcher, pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Feb. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. Joshua A. Bickel/AP hide caption
A study released by the U.S. Geological Survey on Wednesday estimates that at least 45% of U.S. tap water could be contaminated with at least one form of PFAS, which could have harmful health effects. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
Michael Regan, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, at an event in 2021. The Biden administration is announcing a plan to regulate "forever chemicals" in drinking water. Travis Long/AP hide caption