Perris, CA (August 15, 2023) — Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has been at the forefront of efforts to protect its customers from PFAS in groundwater supplies and has worked diligently with its partners from the federal government to find solutions and continue to bring safe and reliable service to its customers.

PFAS are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, which are a class of chemicals resistant to heat, water and oil that have been used in consumer products. These chemicals are often found throughout the environment and pose a public health risk.

Sources that introduce PFAS into the environment can include packaging, cookware, commercial household products including stain and water repellent fabrics, paints, polishes, nonstick products, cosmetics, and firefighting foams.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing the first-ever national drinking water standards that will address PFAS. Those regulations could be finalized by the end of 2023.

“EMWD is a leader in providing safe and reliable drinking water quality to its customers,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “Our efforts to address PFAS remain at the forefront of our commitment to our customers so they may be confident in the safety of their drinking water supplies.”

EMWD has worked with its local Congressional delegation – including Congressman Ken Calvert – to secure external funding for treatment facilities that will allow EMWD to remove PFAS from source water supplies before it becomes drinking water.

“It is because of our longstanding, proactive relationship with our federal partners that EMWD has been one of the first agencies in the nation to implement solutions to remove PFAS while not burdening its ratepayers with the costs to do so,” Paule said. “We are incredibly appreciative of not only those partnerships, but of the role that EMWD plays in our industry to put forward solutions to complicated issues that ultimately benefit public health. We look forward to remaining steadfast in our commitment to deliver a safe and reliable drinking water supply and in putting forth programs that provide long-term improvements to groundwater quality in a cost-effective manner.”

For more information on EMWD’s drinking water quality, please check out our annual Consumer Confidence Report.