More than 1.3M New Yorkers at risk if EPA weakens PFAS standards

Administrator Lee Zeldin will decide fate of landmark ‘forever chemicals’ standards

ALBANY, N.Y. – More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their tap water if the Environmental Protection Agency rolls back its historic, science-based PFAS drinking water standards.

That’s the conclusion of a new analysis released today by the Environmental Working Group with Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

The analysis shows that at least 189 New York water systems – primarily serving residents on Long Island – have detected these chemicals above levels set in the landmark drinking water limits for six PFAS. The analysis is based on recent state and federal tests of PFAS in water. 

But these same systems’ PFAS levels are below the cap that New York set in 2020 for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most notorious and well-studied of the large group of forever chemicals.

The future of the federal limits is uncertain. 

On February 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia paused a lawsuit brought by water utilities and the chemical industry, giving the Trump administration and the EPA until April 8 to announce its intentions for the PFAS maximum contaminant levels – whether to weaken the standards significantly, continue defending them, ask for more time or scrap them altogether.

The agency finalized the standards in April 2024. They include limits of 4 parts per trillion, or ppt, for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt for GenX, PFHxS, and PFNA. The EPA also set a hazard index of 1 for GenX, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFBS, which is a way to measure risks based on combined exposure. The standards aims to protect public health by reducing exposure to the toxic chemicals and their known serious health harms.

“If the EPA rolls back its PFAS drinking water standards, it would be nothing short of a betrayal of public health,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., EWG’s acting chief science officer. 

“There is no safe level of exposure to PFAS, especially to PFOA and PFOS. Even low doses of these chemicals have been linked to serious health harms. Rolling back federal protections would leave New Yorkers vulnerable to entirely preventable health risks,” he added.

New York’s standard for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water is 10 ppt. Weakening or outright eliminating the federal standards would scrap the 4 ppt safeguard, stripping any community in the state with PFAS of most or all protection from water contaminated up to 10 ppt. New York’s standard does not provide protection from the additional four PFAS covered by the federal rule.

​​“Will Lee Zeldin side with the health and well-being of fellow Long Island residents, or will he side with chemical companies that are seeking to pollute our drinking water and expose the public to toxic cancer-causing chemicals?” askedAdrienne Esposito, the executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

“I stood with Congressman Zeldin to call for strong federal PFAS drinking water standards. We’re all now counting on EPA Administrator Zeldin to follow through on his word. Every Long Islander, New Yorker and American deserves access to clean drinking water free of toxic forever chemicals that are linked to cancer and other serious health impacts,” she added.

New York water systems at risk

The new joint analysis identifies water systems in New York that have detected PFAS at levels below the state’s current drinking water standards, which are less stringent than the EPA’s limits. They’d receive critical coverage under the EPA’s more protective standards. 

Many more systems that have detected PFAS above New York state’s standard have taken or are taking action to protect their customers. Without a federal standard, these systems would not have to take any action to protect their water under the state limit.

“Eliminating the EPA’s PFAS limits would make drinking water less safe from harmful chemicals while forcing New York families to continue drinking contaminated water,” said Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst at EWG and co-author of the report.

“Without federal PFAS standards, nearly 200 New York water systems could avoid taking protective actions, even though hazardous forever chemicals are still in their water,” he said.

Multiple locations across New York would lose these essential protections, including Mayville, Carroll Water District and Cherry Creek, in Chautauqua County, along with Countyline Mobile Home Park, in Orleans County. 

“The Defense Department has also said that only in cases where it contaminated the water will it treat the chemicals to the federal standard. So in addition to the numbers our analysis found, many service members and defense communities could also lose protections," said Hayes. 

“Rolling back or weakening the existing standards would endanger lives and undermine years of progress toward cleaner drinking water,” he added.

Health harms

PFAS are known as forever chemicals because once released into the environment they do not break down and they can build up in the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99 percent of Americans, including newborn babies. 

For decades, polluters hid the health harms of PFAS from regulators, workers and neighboring communities. PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, immune system damage and other serious health problems, even at low levels. 

“A growing body of peer-reviewed science demonstrates unequivocally that there is no safe level of exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water,” said Esposito.

“The decision on whether or not to move forward with EPA’s science-based, health-protective drinking water standards will have an impact on the health of New Yorkers and all Americans for decades to come,” she added.

Press Contacts: 

Adrienne Esposito, CCE, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Brian Smith, CCE, 716-472-4078, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org 

Monica Amarelo, EWG, 202-939-9140, monica@ewg.org

###

The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. 

Citizens Campaign for the Environment was formed in 1985 by a small group of concerned citizens recognizing the need for public involvement to advance stronger environmental policy. Today, it has grown to a 120,000-member organization with New York offices in Albany, Buffalo, Farmingdale and Syracuse. CCE works to empower the public by providing members with opportunities to participate in the political process and thereby advance a strong environmental agenda.

Diverse Coalition of Environmental Groups, Drinking Water Suppliers, and Wastewater Treatment Operators Join in Albany to Present Plan to Provide Clean and Affordable Water for All New Yorkers

In the face of cuts to clean water programs and critical agency staff at the federal level, the NY Clean Water Coalition calls on NY to step up and increase clean water funding and protections

For immediate release: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

For more information, contact:

Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Brian Smith, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, 716-472-4078, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org

Albany, NY—Today the New York State Clean Water Coalition announced their 2025 Clean Water Agenda in Albany. From increased funding for clean water infrastructure, to increased staffing at the Department of Health, to policies that would eliminate toxic PFAS chemicals from products, and more, the 2025 Clean Water Agenda lays out budget and policy priorities needed to protect New York’s water, from its source to our taps. The Coalition stressed the urgency for New York State to act, given the federal administration's efforts to halt federal funding, cut staff at environmental agencies, and rollback clean water protections.

The Coalition joined with Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, chairs of the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees, to call for increased funding in the 2025-2026 budget for the NYS Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA). The coalition is requesting $600 million. Governor Hochul has proposed to maintain funding for the program at $500 million in her executive budget proposal. The U.S. EPA estimates a $90 billion need to upgrade and maintain wastewater and drinking water infrastructure in NYS.

Senator Harckham, Chair, Environmental Conservation Committee said: “The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has helped communities across the state with vital water quality improvements for their residents. We need to increase our commitment in protecting our fragile drinking water supplies to ensure long-term sustainability for our residents.”

“All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe drinking water. The Clean Water Infrastructure Act is critical funding that has made progress in addressing some of New York’s aging water infrastructure, but each year, the need is far greater than the funds available. As we look at the increased flooding and storm surges that come with climate change, along with uncertainty of support from the federal government, New York investing in clean water has never been more important. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature along with advocates to ensure that CWIA funds are prioritized in the final budget agreement,” said Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee.

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said: “New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act has been a resounding success for our environment and economy, but we have much more work to do. Now, as the federal government signals an assault on clean water protections, it’s more important than ever for New York to step up and increase clean water funding and protections. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul, Senator Harckham, Assemblymember Glick and other elected leaders to meet the moment and take every action needed to protect clean and affordable water for all New Yorkers.”

Jenny Ingrao-Aman, Executive Director, New York Section American Water Works Association said: "New York’s water systems are at a critical crossroads. With federal cuts threatening clean water programs and environmental protections, it is imperative that our state steps up to invest in our water infrastructure, workforce, and regulatory agencies. We urge our state leaders to prioritize increased funding to protect public health, safeguard our environment, and secure the future of New York’s water systems."

Rob Hayes, Senior Director of Clean Water with Environmental Advocates NY, said, "Every county in New York State has benefitted from the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. These grants are protecting public health, creating good-paying union jobs, and keeping water bills affordable. But the need to safeguard our drinking water is greater than ever, especially with new federal requirements to replace dangerous lead pipes and filter toxic PFAS chemicals. We are grateful for Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick's leadership in advocating to increase Clean Water Infrastructure Act funding to $600 million this year, and we look forward to the State Legislature and Governor including this investment in the final state budget."

Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper stated: “State funding is crucial to the health of New York’s Great Lakes and our other waterways in Western New York. Local communities continue to be challenged by crumbling water infrastructure, the threat of PFAS and lead in our drinking water supplies, and the need for source water protection. The most important action our leaders can take is to ensure that policies like the Clean Water Infrastructure Act are funded at meaningful levels relative to the scale of the problem. Our lawmakers in New York State have demonstrated leadership on these issues before. Today, our communities are counting on our Governor, legislative leadership and Western New York representatives to unite and rise to the occasion again to protect the health and integrity of Western New York’s waterways and Great Lakes.”

"New Yorkers deserve clean, safe water — but right now, too many communities are struggling with failing pipes, sewage overflows, and drinking water contamination," said Jeremy Cherson, Associate Director of Government Affairs for Riverkeeper. "With the chaos at the federal level, we can’t afford to wait. The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has been a game-changer, but demand now exceeds the funding available. That’s why our broad coalition of environmental advocates, wastewater and drinking water utilities, and workers are calling on the Legislature to increase funding to $600 million. This is about protecting our health, our economy, and our future."

David Ansel, vice president of water protection, Save the Sound: "Nitrogen pollution is the leading threat to water quality in Long Island Sound. Clean Water Infrastructure Act programs like the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, Intermunicipal Grant program, and the Septic System Replacement Program support communities seeking to repair and upgrade their infrastructure to reduce nitrogen pollution in their bays and harbors and protect habitat and marine life. To meet the growing challenges in the Long Island Sound region and across the state, clean water infrastructure funding must keep up with rising costs. That is why Save the Sound supports a $100 million increase to the CWIA in the budget for FY2026."

The CWIA supports a number of programs that work to protect clean water, from its source to the tap. This includes, but is not limited to, upgrading outdated sewage treatment plants, installing advanced treatment technology to filter emerging contaminants from drinking water, lead pipe replacement, replacing failing septic systems, acquiring land critical to protecting source water, reducing pollution from farms that impact water quality, and more. The state has appropriated $5.5 billion to the CWIA since its inception in 2017.

The Coalition highlighted several points to justify a funding increase, including but not limited to:

• An estimated 296 communities across New York State will have to comply with new federal drinking water regulations for dangerous PFAS chemicals, costing communities hundreds of millions of dollars to install new drinking water treatment technology.

• Federal regulations require that New York State replace all of its estimated 494,000 lead pipes by 2037, which is estimated to cost up to $5 billion.

• According to the EPA, New York’s wastewater and drinking water needs have reached nearly $90 billion

• New York can and must spend more:

  • In 2024, NYS awarded approximately $800 million to at least 250 projects through the CWIA—far exceeding the $600 million request being supported by coalition.

  • The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA), a program within the CWIA, was significantly oversubscribed in 2024—271 eligible, shovel-ready applications, requesting $744 million, did not receive the funding they needed.

• CWIA is estimated to create 17 jobs for every million dollars invested. Extrapolated out for the $5.5 billion appropriated thus far, the CWIA is estimated to create over 93,000 jobs!