Last Updated on April 16, 2024, 10:19 AM | Published: April 16, 2024
The Oklahoma City Utilities Department sends this information as posted below:
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS compounds, also known as “forever chemicals.” According to the EPA, the rule is being issued after reviewing extensive research and science on how PFAS affects public health.
The new EPA regulation establishes limits on PFAS as low as 4 parts per trillion (ppt). For comparison, one part per trillion in time is the equivalent of one second out of nearly 32,000 years. To compare further, the EPA currently regulates all other contaminants in drinking water on a parts-per-billion scale.
EPA expects that over many years, the regulation will prevent PFAS exposure in drinking water for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses.
The Oklahoma City Utilities Department (OKC Utilities) is the largest public water supply provider in the state, serving more than 1.4 million residents in Central Oklahoma, and because of our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community, we want to reassure the public that the water testing practices we have in place are in compliance with all applicable state and federal agencies.
In advance of the final regulations from the EPA, and for multiple years prior, OKC Utilities tested for PFAS compounds through contaminant monitoring. All sample results for the forever chemicals regulated in the NPDWR have been below 4 ppt. We will continue to test this year, and data beginning in 2024 will be used to meet the EPA NPDWR requirement for initial monitoring that water systems must comply with by 2027.
“We understand that maintaining public trust is crucial, and we remain committed to transparently sharing information about the quality of our drinking water,” said Utilities Director Chris Browning. “We will continue to work closely with regulatory agencies and scientific experts to stay informed about emerging concerns and implement appropriate measures to ensure the continued safety of our water supply.”
According to the EPA, PFAS can be found in many places, including food, food packaging, certain non-stick cookware, paints, shampoo, dental floss, cosmetics, clothing and much more. To learn more about exposure to PFAS, visit epa.gov.
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