The Philadelphia Water Department appreciates EPA’s efforts to address one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the nation. PFAS in drinking water may pose a risk to human health over a lifetime of exposure, and PWD fully supports regulating these compounds.

Because we have been studying and monitoring PFAS for years, our scientists provided EPA with comments and suggestions to make the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) regulation even better and more effective.

Delivering safe, healthy drinking water to the city of Philadelphia is our first priority. That’s why we look for potentially concerning contaminants like PFAS long before they are regulated. Philadelphia’s drinking water meets all current state and federal regulations for PFAS. We are already in the planning and piloting stages to upgrade our treatment plants with the best and most cost-effective available technologies to meet the more stringent federal regulations when they go into effect.

These upgrades do not come without a price, however, and PWD insists that our customers do not foot the bill. PFAS producers and manufacturers must be held accountable for the control of this pollution at its sources and for its cleanup throughout the region. While recent legislation provided invaluable financial support for infrastructure we feel strongly that additional state and federal funding will be needed to meet these regulations.

PFAS contamination is the result of decades of environmental pollution and is a problem that cannot be solved by water utilities alone. Visit our PFAS web page to learn more about what these chemicals are and what PWD is doing to address them. We have been transparent about communicating the levels of PFAS in our surface water and drinking water since we began sampling in 2019.

It’s important to know that PFAS do not occur in water alone – they are present in air, soil, food, clothing, cookware, and many consumer products. Understanding how PFAS can enter our environment, our homes, and our bodies can help us manage our exposure.