California has state guidelines for chemicals, which are far less stringent. Now, under the new federal standard, the number of California wells with unacceptable levels would increase by 255%, or 572 more wells, according to a CalMatters analysis. The government agency that owns the contaminated well supplies water to millions of Californians, but not all of them are drinking water from the affected well. Some suppliers may have already begun treatment or may rely heavily on other sources.

Drinking water wells that may be in violation of the new restrictions include Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside County, Santa Clarita Valley, San Jose, Fremont, Visalia, parts of Fresno, and some areas including Camp It has been found throughout California, including on military installations. Pendleton.

Water utilities across the country will now have to test their water for chemicals and will have five years to comply with the new federal restrictions.

Utilities and cities warned that water costs would rise for many consumers. Areas with elevated levels will need to install treatment systems, shut down wells and replace them with more expensive imported water, or mix contaminated water with other sources.

The EPA estimates the cost could reach $1.5 billion annually. But a water industry report last year estimated that costs could reach $2.5 billion to $3.2 billion, based on previous EPA proposals.

Cindy Tuck of the California Water Utilities Association said the high cost raises questions about whether the new standards are achievable. But, she added, “At the end of the day, our members are going to comply, so we need financial help.”

“Some of the money will come from polluters, some of it will come from low-interest loans and loans in general. And some of the money will have to come from customers,” he said. said Mike Alvord, operations and maintenance manager for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Authority, which provides the water.

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Brenda Mallory announced that public water providers and private well owners will be able to receive funding through bipartisan infrastructure legislation as part of a $9 billion package to address emerging pollutants. announced $1 billion to help fund testing and treatment for patients.

“The only level that would really protect would be zero,” said Jamie DeWitt, a professor of toxicology at Oregon State University and a member of the EPA’s scientific advisory committee. But given the cost and available technology, “this is the best we can get right now,” DeWitt said.

DeWitt continued, “Perhaps the cost today seems very high, but if you spread that cost over a lifetime, the costs that we experience with higher exposure levels for certain (chemicals) are much higher. “Deaf patients will have lower expected medical costs than expected,” he added.

“Eternal chemicals” have various health effects

EPA estimates that the rule would prevent 30,000 illnesses and 9,600 deaths, and save $1.5 billion from reductions in cancer, heart disease, stroke, and childbirth complications.

The health effects of chemicals were exposed in a high-profile case in which a DuPont factory in West Virginia contaminated drinking water in the Ohio River Basin. A long-term community study found “possible links” between drinking this water and heart disease, colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy problems. It has been. In 2017, DuPont paid $671 million to settle a class action lawsuit on behalf of about 3,000 people in a case dramatized in the movie “Dark Water.”

In recent years, California has passed laws restricting the use of “permanent chemicals” in certain food packaging, new clothing, textile accessories, furniture and other textile products, and consumer products such as cosmetics. did. Lawmakers are also considering legislation this year that would ban the sale of products containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals.

Now, cities and utilities must meet new federal standards called maximum contamination levels for five “permanent chemicals.” The sixth chemical is restricted when present in the mixture.

Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, known as PFOA and PFOS, cannot each exceed the new standard of 4 parts per trillion in drinking water. This is equivalent to 4 cups of chemicals in 1 trillion cups of water. (California guidelines limited PFOA to 10 parts per trillion and PFOS to 40 parts per trillion.) In addition, three other chemicals, including one used as a replacement for PFOA, 10 minutes, and there are upper limits for certain mixtures. , too.

Many water agencies in California have already begun considering “permanent chemicals” under state guidelines. But they say the costs will rise in the future. Gov. Gavin Newsom in January proposed cutting more than $100 million from the budget for state programs aimed at cleaning up pollutants.

Jason Dadakis with the Orange County Water District said 62 of the roughly 200 municipal large wells in the basin, which serves the northern and central parts of the county, have been shut down to comply with California guidelines. Ta.

Thirty-eight of them are now receiving treatment and back online. Treatment facilities for the remaining wells are expected to be completed by early 2025 at an initial cost of about $300 million, Dadakis said. He estimates that operating and maintenance costs could reach $700 million over the next 30 years.

Now, under new federal restrictions, Dadakis estimates that 40 more wells in the basin could be affected, with construction costs nearly doubling and annual treatment costs around 30% over 30 years. The amount will increase to $1.2 billion.

The water district is considering raising rates by 10% for cities and water utilities to cover costs.

“Having a legally enforceable standard at that level, right in the single digits, parts per trillion, is pretty unprecedented,” said Jason Dadakis, executive director of water quality and technical resources for the Orange County Water District. There is no such thing.” “So a lot of people are working on this issue and are testing it right now to understand what kind of impact it might have on the system.”

DuPont, 3M and other chemical manufacturers have agreed to a multibillion-dollar settlement following a nationwide class-action lawsuit. But California Attorney General Rob Bonta argues the payments are too little, too late, and companies seeking funding for water treatment as well as testing, medical monitoring, and alternative water, according to the complaint. He has filed a separate lawsuit.

The Santa Clarita Valley Water District shut down more than half of its 45 wells after chemicals were detected above state guidelines, but five wells have now been treated and are back up and running. Alvord said water treatment could cost $200 million plus annual operating and maintenance costs, but that’s before considering new, stricter federal guidelines.

Alvord said the agency was able to shut down wells while treatment plants were installed because it had other water sources, unlike water companies with fewer resources. He expects smaller power companies to struggle even more going forward.

“Once you go beyond[the federal standard]there’s no getting out of it. There are no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands,’ or ‘buts.’ …It’s over now. ”

The Pico Water District, which serves parts of Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County, has already raised rates for customers to cover the cost of treating wells, the city’s only source of drinking water, the General Manager Joe Basulto said.

Most of the $5.5 million project was funded through grants, but the district must come up with the remaining funds and at least $650,000 a year in operating costs.