Tackling PFAS: Communicating Effectively
Strict new federal limits on PFAS in drinking water have drawn rapidly increasing attention to the dangers of “forever chemicals,” and your customers are probably asking questions.
As your water utility develops strategies for testing, monitoring and planning for removing PFAS that might be found from your system, it’s essential to keep your public informed about your actions and what they can expect.
The new limits include public communication requirements that go into effect in 2027 and 2029. But starting a communications effort now will demonstrate transparency and help build trust within your community, particularly among residents who are especially worried about water quality or feel vulnerable.
Steps You Can Take Now
- Establish a communications plan, working with your staff and elected officials to determine who you want to reach, what to tell them, how often to communicate and which methods to use.
- Help your customers understand PFAS, the new drinking water limits and how this affects them. Explain the health risks of prolonged PFAS exposure to convey the urgency without being alarming.
- Reassure your public by letting them know what actions you’re taking to keep their water safe and comply with the requirements — whether you’re already testing or just starting to develop your action plan.
- Inform the public about your test results, along with details about your response to those results.
- Use a range of tools to reach the public, depending on your available resources. Tactics can include a web page, social media posts, town halls or open houses, postcards/fliers, columns in local news publications or interviews with news outlets.
- Remember that you’ll need to communicate multiple times across several different channels to have the broadest reach.
- Provide a contact person or location where the public can learn more about PFAS generally and your actions regarding the new standards.
PFAS Communications Resources
The EPA has created a toolkit to assist utilities with PFAS communications.
Other resources are available from the American Water Works Association and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Communications That Will Be Required Later
2027: Public water systems must complete initial monitoring and start informing the public about PFAS levels in their drinking water while working to reduce them below Maximum Contaminant Levels of 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS, and 10.0 parts per trillion for PFNA, HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX and PFHxS.
2029: Water systems with PFAS levels that still exceed one or more Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) must take action to reduce them and notify the public of the violation.
Examples of What Systems Are Doing
Many systems already testing and sampling have been communicating with the public through web pages and other mechanisms. These publicly available examples show varied approaches for reference only. (Freese and Nichols was not involved in developing these pages.):
Arlington, Texas
Boca Raton, Florida
Boulder, Colorado
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Cary, North Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Savannah, Georgia
Tyler, Texas
How Freese and Nichols Can Help
With our team’s expertise and experience in environmental science and water treatment, we can assist you with all aspects of PFAS regulatory compliance. Our experts can provide initial evaluations and planning and design treatment solutions that purify drinking water impacted by PFAS compounds.
Freese and Nichols can help you address PFAS each step of the way:
- Plant evaluations and sampling plans
- PFAS sampling and data analysis
- Planning, cost estimating and developing CIP programs
- Pilot studies to optimize treatment efficiency
- PFAS treatment system planning, design and construction
- Waste disposal plans
- PFAS program management
- Permitting
- Funding assistance
To Learn More:
- Contact David Jackson, david.jackson@freese.com, or Viraj deSilva, viraj.desilva@freese.com
- Visit our PFAS services page
