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water companies has been ordered to take action to deal with potentially harmful level offorever chemicals“In untreated drinking water Sources serving over 6 million people.
In total, 23 enforcement notices have been issued by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) over the past four years – which monitors water supply In England and Wales – levels of chemicals forever exceed that “poses a potential threat to human health,
From 2021 onwards, water companies are required to monitor the 47 most worrying chemicals in domestic supplies and key water sources such as aquifers and reservoirs, reflecting growing global concern over the risks associated with these chemicals.
Over the past four years, more than 1.7 million tests have been conducted on the water network. At least 9,432 of those tests detected chemicals at levels high enough for a DWI to warrant warnings that they could pose a potential threat to human health. a combined analysis By the BBC and journalist campaign group Watershed Investigations.
According to the analysis, 23 sanctions are in place and seven apply to water companies. These are: Affinity Water, Anglian Water, South West Water, Wessex Water, United Utilities, Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water.
Forever chemicals is a term broadly applied to a class of chemicals also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS,
These chemicals, which number approximately 6,000, are used in the manufacture of greaseproofing, stainproofing, and waterproofing substances, and can be found in plastics, cookware, food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, medical devices, electronics, and firefighting foam.
Since their introduction in the mid-20th century, a large body of evidence has emerged showing the devastating effects that exposure to PFAS can have on human health. They have been linked to reproductive and developmental problems, liver and kidney problems, effects on the immune system, cancer, low birth weight infants, and thyroid hormone disruption.
When “raw water sources” – reservoirs and aquifers from which water companies obtain untreated water – reach breach levels deemed safe, which in the UK is set at 0.01ug/L (micrograms per litre), then the DWI issues an enforcement notice to the water company, requiring them to take action to ensure the water is safe.
In practice, this means water companies must test, upgrade or adjust their PFAS treatments, or in some cases close a source entirely.
It can take years for a ban to be lifted, with months of monitoring required before a ban can be lifted.
A DWI spokesperson said Independent UK drinking water is safe and consumers should not be concerned.
He said: “The inspectorate operates one of the most comprehensive PFAS monitoring programs in the world and is a world-leader in both PFAS research and guideline development, ensuring consumers can have complete confidence in the safety of their drinking water.”
He added: “When trace levels of PFAS are detected, we require water companies to investigate and implement remediation plans quickly.”
Joe Biden’s government is in America Strict, legally enforceable limits were adopted For PFAS in drinking water. In the UK, DWI guidelines are not legally binding, and the limits are 2.5 times higher than in the US.
The Royal Society of Chemistry said that while the guidelines adopted in 2021 “bring us in line and indeed exceed the stringency of the EU standard, we would still like to see the limits for any individual PFAS lowered further”.
Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: IndependentThis would provide “an even stronger level of protection”, and said these limits should be made legally binding “to truly establish security and ensure compliance”.
He said: “The levels of PFAS in our water systems are indicative of the wider issue of chemical pollution in the environment. The government needs to ensure they are monitoring pollution in the environment, as well as identifying and holding those responsible accountable.”
There are currently no environmental permitting limits for PFAS emissions from industrial facilities, which he warned risks more PFAS entering the environment and water systems. Additionally, the Society is campaigning for taxes on the companies that produce these chemicals so that the burden does not fall on water companies, who are forced to remove or reduce PFAS at significant cost.
Water UK – an industry body that acts on behalf of water companies – said the production of Forever chemicals should be banned, with the clean-up paid for by the companies that produced them.
A spokesperson said Independent: “PFAS pollution is a huge global challenge. We want to ban PFAS and develop a national plan to remove it from the environment, with money paid for by manufacturers.
“No matter where you are in the country, when you turn on your tap, you’re enjoying the best drinking water in the world. All water companies are required to meet stringent government standards and testing – including for PFAS. As a result, we can have complete confidence in the quality of our tap water whenever and wherever we use it.”