North Raleigh Today

On April 10, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a national drinking water standard. This standard will manage the level of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are often abbreviated to “PFAS.” Take a look at the FAQs below to learn more about what PFAS is and what this means for water services provided by Raleigh Water.

According to Raleigh Water, regulated Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have been detected in both untreated and treated drinking water. The utility stated, "Are regulated Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in my drinking water? Yes. Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Perfluorooctanoic Acid have been detected in our untreated water and in some cases our treated drinking water."

The concentrations of these compounds were described as very low by Raleigh Water, with levels expressed in parts per trillion. They highlighted that this measurement is equivalent to "one single drop of water in twenty olympic-sized swimming pools."

Raleigh Water assured the public that they actively test for PFAS compounds as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. They affirmed, "Does Raleigh Water test for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)? Yes! Raleigh Water tests quarterly for the regulated PFAS compounds as prescribed by the Safe Drinking Water Act."

Regarding the impact on utility bills due to the updated regulations, Raleigh Water mentioned that currently, there is no effect on water bills. However, they acknowledged the possibility of evaluating advanced treatment technologies in the future, which could potentially lead to an increase in customers' utility bills.

In response to the new regulations for PFAS, Raleigh Water stated that they have been optimizing their existing treatment system to comply. During the latest sampling event, all PFAS compounds were found to be under detection limits, showing the effectiveness of their efforts. The utility company intends to continuously monitor for PFAS and explore new treatment technologies to further improve their treatment processes.

As for the timeline concerning the implementation of the new regulations, Raleigh Water informed the public that the updated regulations were announced on April 10, 2024. Public water systems have been given five years, until 2029, to implement necessary solutions to reduce PFAS levels.