The discoveries of man-made, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), especially a group of chemicals names PFAS, constitute the greatest future threat to public confidence in our nation’s drinking water. The sheer number of these contaminants and the lack of health and safety data on all of them, combined with new, disruptive developments that are occurring nearly every week, could lead many of our customers to question whether or not they should turn on their taps. That’s why it’s more important than ever that utilities become or stay the go-to source for information about their drinking water. While it is understandable that new drinking water standards take time to be correctly developed, the lack of expediency with the EPA’s Action Plan put the responsibility for addressing the PFAS problem back onto the states. Meanwhile, testing being conducted by academics and activists are vastly outpacing the regulatory process. The headlines their test results are generating are forcing states to come up with new drinking water standards. Fast. States are creating new standards based on a combination of scientific data and political expediency. The checkerboard effect is leading to frustration and anger from the public, which is already confused over how these chemicals were allowed to enter into our source waters in the first place. WaterPIO has been in the middle of handling PFAS communications since 2016 and emerging contaminant communications since 2008.

Proficiency Level

Advanced

Learning Objectives
  1. Examine the latest information about the discoveries of PFAS in drinking water and how the EPA and state governments are reacting to the latest news
  2. Plan for a PFAS discovery that could permanently damage the utility’s reputation if public communications are mishandled
  3. Utilize the public and key stakeholder messages that have helped water and wastewater service providers explain the impacts of PFAS discoveries on their services

Claim CEUs

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