The Charleston area’s largest water provider is pushing back – hard – against a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule to reduce so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water due to health risks.
Charleston Water System, an independent government entity once sponsored by the city of Charleston, says the new rule is an “unfunded mandate” that will force it to raise rates on customers while providing very few real-world benefits.
“Over 10 years, we’ll spend $200 million to remove 3 to 5 parts per trillion (ppt) from your drinking water, when you can just walk across your living room floor and pick up half a million [ppt] from dust in your first breath,” Charleston Water System spokesman Mike Saia told City Paper. “And that cost will have to get passed along to ratepayers.”
Other area officials, however, are applauding the EPA’s decision.
“Putting much-needed additional limits on the amount of forever chemicals in drinking water is vitally important,” said North Charleston Democratic state Rep. J.A. Moore, who first introduced clean water reform legislation in 2018. “These chemicals cause permanent damage to folks and can lead to everything from cancer to other life-threatening illnesses.”
Asked if he would support additional state funding to help water providers pay for that investment, Moore said yes.
“We need to do everything we can to make sure that this happens,” he said.
What are forever chemicals?
At issue are what experts call per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of almost 15,000 synthetic chemicals that have been used since the 1950s to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water.
Dubbed “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly in the environment, PFAS have been found at high levels in everyday products like furniture, hamburger wrappers and stain-resistant clothing, and in common foods such as seafood, chocolate cake and microwave popcorn.
According to federal studies, 97% of Americans have some amount of PFAS in their blood. But average levels have declined by 85% since 1999 when many companies began phasing PFAS chemicals out of their products.
The new EPA rule would require water systems to reduce PFAS levels to 4 ppt or less by 2029. Quarterly testing has consistently shown PFAS levels of between 5 and 10 ppt in Charleston drinking water since 2018, CWS officials say.
For perspective, 1 ppt is the equivalent of about 1 grain of sand in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
“We understand that people want the water to be PFAS=free – and we want the water to be PFAS free,” Saia said. “But when you’re talking about removing less than 5 parts per trillion at a cost of $200 million, … that’s a tremendous amount of money for an absolutely miniscule reduction in PFAS exposure.”
As previously reported in City Paper, PFAS chemicals have been found at high concentrations in the Charleston area for years.
- Marine mammals. A series of tests conducted between 2003 and 2013 discovered “some of the highest levels of PFASs in marine mammals throughout the world.”
- Groundwater. In 2018, groundwater testing at Joint Base Charleston revealed PFAS levels of 1.15 million ppt.
- Local fish. A 2023 S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control study found fresh-caught fish from the Ashley River and Goose Creek Reservoir with 14,900 ppt.
Action needed to protect public, advocates say
Riley Egger, director of land, water and wildlife programs for the Coastal Conservation League, agrees that PFAS chemicals are found at high levels throughout the environment, and that South Carolina water systems will need state and federal grants to meet the new standard. Nevertheless, she says, public safety requires action.
“The appropriate amount of contamination in our drinking water is zero,” Egger said. “Getting this chemical out of our drinking water is the first step in protecting human health.”
For its part, Charleston Water System says it’s prepared to comply with the rule, but argues the science does not support the EPA’s action.
“It’s very questionable whether removing this tiny amount of PFAS will help human health,” Saia said. “But it’s absolutely certain this is going to be a major expense for our customers.”
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