"As the US wrestles with how to deal with widespread PFAS pollution in drinking water supplies, most utilities are lacking advanced filtration systems that could protect public health from not just PFAS but an array of harmful contaminants, according to a new study.
Small, rural communities are the least likely to have the advanced systems in place, the study notes.
Among the contaminants that the advanced systems can reduce are the water disinfectant byproducts trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid, according to the study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which was published Thursday in the journal ACS ES&T Water. Both byproducts are considered potential carcinogens.
“The majority of systems impacted by PFAS contamination lack advanced water treatment,” the authors wrote. “A nationwide installation of treatment for PFAS removal could present an opportunity for overall public water quality improvement.”"
Brian Bienkowski reports for The New Lede September 4, 2025.
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