PFAS

Information on PFAS is available on the EPA website, the Virginia Department of Health website, the American Water Works Association website, and the Fairfax Water website. 

• Cook with stainless steel, cast-iron, glass, or ceramics. Try not to use nonstick cookware.
• Look for coats, hats, and boots labeled “water-resistant.” They are less likely to have PFAS than waterproof products.
• Avoid ordering food in grease-resistant wrappers or containers.
• Avoid carpets and upholstery treated to be stain or water-resistant; decline stain treatment.
• Ask manufacturers if their products have PFAS. These chemicals are often not listed. However, given that many PFAS cannot be measured yet, products cannot be confirmed “PFAS-free.”

PFAS typically enters drinking water sources (lakes, rivers, wells, etc.) through storm water runoff and wastewater originating from facilities where PFAS chemicals were produced or used.

PFAS are slow to break down and using products with PFAS puts these chemicals into the environment, where, over time, they may end up in drinking water supplies. PFAS can also enter the environment as consumers wash and throw away products containing these chemicals and through bodily waste.

Prince William Water purchases treated drinking water from Fairfax Water and the City of Manassas to meet the needs of Prince William Water customers in Prince William County. Prince William Water remains fully confident in their ability to provide safe and reliable drinking water that meets regulatory treatment and distribution requirements. For more information, visit our 'PFAS & Drinking Water' page or the Fairfax Water 'PFAS Standards' page. 

• On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced final national primary drinking water standards for six types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
• In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed two bills (HB 586 and HB 1257) that directed the VDH’s Office of Drinking Water (ODW) to study the occurrence, health effects and treatability of PFAS compounds in public drinking water and to adopt maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for some PFAS compounds.
• For more information, visit our 'PFAS & Drinking Water' page. 

Throughout 2024, Prince William Water is participating in EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5, (UCMR5) for its East and West water distribution systems. UCMR5 involves collecting and testing water samples to assess a list of unregulated contaminants that EPA selects for monitoring in public water systems. Subsequently, the EPA uses the collected data to develop regulatory policies that address emerging contaminants. For more information, visit our 'PFAS & Drinking Water' page. 

Yes. On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced final national primary drinking water standards for six types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane-sulfonic acid (PFHxS), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX chemicals), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The standard also establishes a hazard index (HI) for a mixture of two or more of the following: PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).

According to the EPA, public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs. Fairfax Water will ensure that our water meets these standards. For more information, visit our 'PFAS & Drinking Water' page. 

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of more than 6,000 manmade chemicals used in the manufacture of a wide variety of industrial and household products designed to resist heat, water, oil and stains. A wide variety of products are made with PFAS, including non-stick cookware, food packaging, personal care products and water-resistant apparel. For more information, visit our 'PFAS & Drinking Water' page. 

Our Water Quality Report provides up-to-date information about the quality of your water.

For more information, please contact Prince William Water’s Regulatory Affairs Office at (703) 331-4162 or email water_quality@pwwater.org.