Dear Douglass,
Consumer Reports’ members helped test tap water across the country as part of our nine-month investigation into the nation’s drinking water. And the results being released today are disturbing:
Nearly every drinking water sample had measurable levels of PFAS, a group of compounds known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t easily break down in the body or the environment. And more than a third of the samples exceeded the maximum safety threshold recommended by CR scientists.
Despite mounting evidence of potential health risks from PFAS — including cancer, learning delays in children, and interference with vaccine efficacy — federal regulators have failed to set an enforceable limit for these chemicals in our drinking water. That means your tap water could be contaminated with PFAS and you likely won’t even know it.
Americans deserve safe drinking water, and it is beyond time our leaders make that happen. Sign our petition to the Biden Administration to regulate PFAS in our drinking water now!
We’re joined in this petition effort by our allies, Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Working Group, because they also believe that our drinking water must be as clean and safe as possible. PFAS exposure is especially concerning, as more evidence comes to light at just how widespread this contamination has become.
Manufacturers use PFAS to make stain-resistant fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging and hundreds of other common products. The compounds can seep into water from factories, landfills, and other sources — and they don’t break down easily once ingested. It’s been estimated that 97 percent of Americans may have PFAS in their bodies.
Our latest test results confirm just how pervasive these chemicals are: we found them in 117 of the 120 tap water samples. We need bold, decisive action right now to get these dangerous contaminants out of our water! Sign the petition to regulate PFAS — and please share it with friends and family!
Thank you for joining this important fight. And a special thanks to those who volunteered to join our tap water-testing project! We will have more volunteer opportunities coming soon.
Meg Bohne
Consumer Reports
The above links take you to a joint petition with our allies, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Environmental Working Group (EWG), which operate under their own privacy policies. Information you submit is shared with Consumer Reports, NRDC and EWG.
