Water Sector News
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EPA warning on ‘forever chemicals’ causes confusion in Ascutney
https://www.vnews.com/Vermont-publishes-PFAS-plans-53354806
ASCUTNEY — Customers of the Ascutney Water District found an alarming federal letter in their mailboxes last month referring to their community water system.
In bold print, the flier from the Environmental Protection Agency read: “Your system has detections of PFOA/PFAS.”
Several studies link PFAS — an umbrella acronym for thousands of chemicals related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — to serious health effects.
Dubbed “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment, PFAS are ubiquitous. They’re found in a wide range of manufactured products, from dental floss to nonstick cookware, and can turn up in drinking water.
But by state regulations, the water in Ascutney wasn’t an urgent problem.