LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It’s an everyday thing. We turn on our faucet and fill a up a glass of water. It's a simple action, but there’s a lot that goes into our drinking water to make sure it’s safe for consumption.
Now, for the first time, the EPA is setting a limit for PFAS in tap water. Short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they don’t break down and they're linked to health risks like cancer.
They’re used in products we all have, like nonstick cookware and waterproof clothes, and across the country, they’re now showing up in the water.
Multipure, a Las Vegas-based manufacturer of carbon water filtration systems, has seen an uptick in demand in their product as consumers become aware of the exposure risks. Their third-party verified technology filters out tiny contaminants such as arsenic, lead and PFAS.
"We are exposed to this stuff everywhere; it’s not just our drinking water," said Kenton Jones, Multipure vice president of marketing.
Here’s some comforting news: the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) says they’ve already been testing the drinking water in our valley for PFAS for over a decade.
“This gives us a very long runway to be able to make sure we understand the research and we understand the issue, and then we can be well prepared to mitigate that issue if and when it becomes necessary," said Bronson Mack, SNWA spokesperson.
Bronson said that in the drinking water under SNWA's jurisdiction, PFAS are either undetectable or at least lower than the new EPA standard.
“The work that we’ve already done indicates to us that we are already meeting that standard,” Mack said.
For the rest of Nevada’s water providers, there’s time to meet compliance and get up to speed.
“The water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring. If they have detections of the new standards, they will have an additional two years to install treatment or find some sort of alternative source of water before they're actually in violation of the standard," said Andrea Seifert, Chief of the Safe Drinking Water Bureau within the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection.
If you're concerned about PFAS, here's some tips on what you can do to mitigate these chemicals.
- Drink filtered water: You can install an in-home water filtration system with carbon filters or reverse osmosis processees
- Reduce your use of non-stick cookware
- Avoid grease-resistant products such as popcorn bags or pizza boxes
- Check your clothing labels for anything that is water-, grease- or stain-resistant
Here's a link to last year's water quality report from SNWA:
