Living With PFAS: What Big Water Settlements Mean for Families and Everyday Drinking Water

Every morning, millions of families across America turn on their taps without thinking twice. They fill coffee makers, give children glasses of water before school and rinse vegetables for dinner. What many don’t realise is that nearly half of all tap water in the US contains PFAS – synthetic chemicals that scientists call ‘forever chemicals’ because they never break down in the environment or human body. For the first time, major legal settlements worth nearly $14 billion are bringing relief to communities grappling with contaminated drinking water, shifting the financial burden away from households and onto the companies that created the problem.

What Are PFAS, and Why Should You Care?

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic compounds that have been manufactured for decades and used in everything from non-stick cookware to waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. The reason they work so well is also what makes them dangerous – they’re designed to repel water and grease, and they’re virtually indestructible.

These chemicals have made their way into drinking water supplies through industrial discharge, military bases where firefighting foam was used and landfills where consumer products containing PFAS were dumped. A 2023 U.S. Geological Survey study found PFAS in at least 45% of the nation’s tap water, affecting both public water systems and private wells.

The health risks are particularly concerning for children and pregnant women. Research links PFAS exposure to cancer, liver damage, immune system problems and developmental delays in children. Because these chemicals accumulate in the body over time, even small amounts consumed daily through drinking water can build up to harmful levels. Like microplastics that invade our daily lives, PFAS represent another invisible threat to family health.

The Legal Settlement: Financial Relief for Communities

The historic settlements represent the largest environmental contamination awards in US history. 3M agreed to pay $12.5 billion over 13 years, while DuPont and related companies settled for $1.2 billion. These funds specifically target drinking water contamination, providing money for testing, treatment systems and ongoing monitoring.

‘These settlements will help communities across the country address the devastating costs of PFAS contamination,’ said Ken Sansone, senior partner at SL Environmental Law Group, which represents more than 280 water systems affected by contamination. ‘While they represent only part of a wider effort needed to address the environmental and public health crises caused by decades of PFAS use, this financial recovery is a crucial first step.’

The settlements matter because treating PFAS contamination is expensive. Installing proper filtration systems can cost water utilities hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, costs that would typically be passed on to customers through higher water bills. Instead of families bearing this burden, the companies that manufactured and sold PFAS chemicals are now paying for the cleanup.

The Human Side: What Families Have Been Facing

For families living in affected areas, PFAS contamination has meant difficult choices and constant worry. Many parents have switched to buying bottled water for drinking and cooking, adding unexpected monthly expenses to household budgets. Others have invested in expensive home filtration systems, unsure whether standard filters are enough to protect their children.

The uncertainty has been particularly challenging for caregivers making decisions about infant formula, children’s health and daily water use. Bottled water isn’t necessarily safer, as it’s not required to be tested for PFAS, leaving families to navigate conflicting information about the best ways to protect their households.

Women often bear the mental load of researching water safety options, reading studies about health effects and making purchasing decisions about alternatives. The settlements won’t immediately solve these daily concerns, but they represent a shift towards holding manufacturers accountable rather than leaving families to figure out solutions on their own.

What the Settlement Covers – and What It Doesn’t

The current settlements specifically address drinking water contamination in public water systems. Most utilities that have detected any level of PFAS contamination qualify for funding, with payments designed to cover testing, treatment and ongoing monitoring costs. Water systems that discover contamination after the settlements were announced in June 2023 can still participate, but they must submit claims by the 2026 deadline.

The settlements have limitations. They don’t cover personal injury claims or provide direct compensation to individuals who may have health effects from PFAS exposure. The funding also doesn’t address PFAS contamination in other sources like wastewater systems, airports or landfills, though additional legal actions are expected to target these areas.

Private well owners, who make up about 13% of the US population, must handle testing and treatment on their own. The settlements don’t provide funding for individual households to address contamination in private wells, leaving these families to seek other solutions.

Looking Ahead: New Standards and Ongoing Protection

The settlements coincide with new federal drinking water standards that took effect last year. The EPA’s first-ever national PFAS drinking water standards regulate six specific PFAS chemicals, requiring public water systems to test regularly and reduce contamination levels if they exceed safety thresholds.

Water systems have until 2027 to begin monitoring and 2029 to meet the new standards. The federal government has allocated $1 billion in additional funding to help utilities upgrade their treatment systems. These regulations, combined with settlement funding, should provide more consistent protection across communities.

Families concerned about PFAS exposure can take several steps now. Contact your local water utility to ask about PFAS testing results and review annual water quality reports that utilities are required to provide. For additional protection, certified water filters that specifically remove PFAS can provide peace of mind, though they require proper maintenance to remain effective.

Resources and Next Steps

For households wanting to check their water system’s status, the EPA maintains resources for finding local testing information and understanding the new standards. Water systems represented in the settlements can be found through legal firms handling claims, and utilities not yet included have time to join if contamination is discovered.

The settlements mark a significant change in how PFAS contamination costs are handled, moving financial responsibility from ratepayers to the manufacturers who created the problem. While they won’t solve every concern families have about water safety, they represent an important step towards ensuring clean drinking water without placing the burden on households already dealing with contamination.

Just as harmful chemicals lurk in everyday household products, PFAS remain present in consumer goods beyond drinking water. The settlements provide crucial funding for one piece of the PFAS puzzle, but protecting families from these persistent chemicals will require ongoing attention to multiple sources of exposure and continued pressure on manufacturers to address the full scope of contamination they’ve created.