PFAS in Tap Water: What It Is and How to Reduce It at Home
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PFAS, often called "forever chemicals," have been in the news for years, and for good reason: they're widespread, they don't break down easily, and they've been found in drinking water systems across the country. Here's a plain-language rundown and what you can do at home.
What are PFAS?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of man-made chemicals used since the 1950s in nonstick cookware, water-resistant fabrics, food packaging and firefighting foam. Because they're so persistent, they build up in soil and water, and in people.
Is there PFAS in my water?
The best place to start is your water utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (sometimes called a Water Quality Report). Search your utility's name plus "water quality report." The EPA has also set national drinking water limits for several PFAS, and utilities are required to monitor for them, so testing data is becoming more widely available. If you're on a private well, consider testing through a certified lab.
How to reduce PFAS at home
According to the EPA, activated carbon and reverse osmosis are among the most effective home treatment options for reducing PFAS. Activated carbon works by adsorption: contaminants stick to the carbon's enormous internal surface area as water passes through slowly.
That's why contact time matters. Gravity filters move water slowly through dense carbon blocks, which gives the carbon more time to work than a fast-flowing faucet attachment.
Tips for getting the most out of a carbon filter
- Replace filters on schedule. Once carbon is saturated, it stops adsorbing. Track your gallons.
- Prime new filters according to the instructions so water flows evenly through the media.
- Use it for drinking and cooking water, which is where most ingestion happens.
Where Denali Spring fits
Our stainless steel gravity water filters use high-density coconut-shell activated carbon designed to reduce PFAS, chlorine, VOCs and other common contaminants, with no electricity or plumbing. Each replacement carbon filter is rated for up to 3,000 gallons, depending on water quality and use.
Our founder started Denali Spring after learning a property's drinking water was contaminated with PFAS, so this one is personal for us. Questions? info@denalispring.com.