The UCMR 5 data reveal 2,991 more sites with detectable levels of PFAS, based on test results from approximately 75% of the community water systems that will be tested under the rule. This brings the total known number of PFAS-contaminated sites to 9,323.

The new data, along with reporting from states and other sources, confirm 165 million people in communities throughout the U.S. have drinking water that has tested positive for PFAS.

A 2020 study by EWG scientists estimated more than 200 million Americans are served by water systems where two of the most studied PFAS – PFOA or PFOS – were present in drinking water at a concentration of 1 part per trillion, or ppt, or higher.

By comparison, the UCMR 5 requires reporting of detections at 4 ppt or higher for these chemicals. These new testing results, which build on EWG’s landmark PFAS contamination map, highlight the sheer scale of the PFAS problem in the U.S.. But the results still likely understate the full extent of exposure.

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