PFAS Contamination Found in Bottled Water in New England

Recent news stories from the New England states have documented PFAS contamination in bottled water. The Vermont article in Burlington Free Press and the Massachusetts article in Consumer Reports both share information about different brands of bottled water that have been sampled and found to have high levels of PFAS. It appears that the problem is mostly related to spring water, rather than treated bottled water, and a few states are conducting further sampling and investigations to determine if the PFAS is coming from the water source or the bottling process. These states are also taking steps to work with the bottled water companies and remove the contaminated bottled water from the shelves of retail stores, but the lack of regulatory authority by states and the Food and Drug Administration is contributing to the issue. This could be a significant concern for state drinking water programs and water utilities if a “do not drink” order is issued for PFAS or other contamination problems where customers are told to drink bottled water instead of tap water.