You’ve probably heard the term “forever chemicals” tossed around on the news and wondered “okay, but have I been contaminated?” You’re not being paranoid. PFAS have turned up in water systems serving roughly half of California. State and federal rules, and the rules meant to deal with PFAS, are shifting right now. Here’s what you actually need to know about what PFAS are, what the law actually requires, and what you can do about them.
What are PFAS?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – thousands of synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in nonstick pans, waterproof jackets, stain-resistant carpet, fast-food wrappers, cosmetics, and firefighting foam. They are called “forever chemicals” because the bond that makes them useful also makes them nearly impossible to break down. They don’t degrade in soil, they don’t degrade in water, and they don’t leave your body quickly either.
That’s how they end up in tap water: decades of runoff from buildings, businesses, factories, military bases, airports, and even landfills that flow into the groundwater that California cities pump.
Why people are worried
The EPA says peer-reviewed studies link PFAS exposure to an “increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers,” along with decreased fertility, increased blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental delays and low birth weight in children, a weakened immune response, hormone interference, and higher cholesterol.
For Californians, drinking water is the main route of exposure: a small dose with every glass, every day, for years on end.
Are PFAS in my water?
The short answer is, possibly. A May 2025 analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that 177 California water systems serving more than 18.9 million people – roughly half the state – had detected PFAS above federal health limits, including water systems in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and Fresno.
Two ways to find out if you may have been impacted:
- Your annual water quality report – California water systems must list confirmed PFAS detections in your water and you can check these on your utility’s website.
- Public databases – The State Water Resources Control Board publishes PFAS sampling results by water system, and EWG’s Tap Water Database is searchable by ZIP code.
What federal law says
In April 2024, the EPA finalized the first enforceable national drinking water limits for PFAS: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX, plus a “hazard index” for mixtures. Systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and comply by 2029.
However, in May of 2026, the EPA proposed letting systems request an extra two years (to 2031) to meet the PFOA and PFOS limits, and rescinding the limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the hazard index altogether. The EPA hasn’t issued a final decision, yet, so the 2024 limits still stand for now.
What California law says
California hasn’t adopted its own enforceable limit yet. The State Water Board instead uses a warning system with two thresholds for each chemical, tightened on October 29, 2025. Cross the lower one – the notification level – and your water system has to report the detection. Cross the higher one – the response level – and the water system has to act: take the source offline, treat the water, or notify customers within 30 days.
- PFOA – notification level 4 ppt, response level 10 ppt
- PFOS – notification level 4 ppt, response level 40 ppt
- PFHxS – notification level 3 ppt, response level 10 ppt
- PFHxA – notification level 1,000 ppt, response level 10,000 ppt
California has taken action regarding PFAS in products, too. PFOA and PFOS have been listed under Proposition 65 as reproductive toxicants since 2017 and as carcinogens since 2021 and 2022. AB 1200 banned intentionally added PFAS in plant-based food packaging, AB 1817 banned it in most textiles as of January 1, 2025, and SB 1044 phased out PFAS in firefighting foam. A broader phase-out bill, SB 682, passed the Legislature in 2025 but was vetoed that October.
What to do if PFAS turns up in your water
- Don’t boil the water – Boiling doesn’t remove PFAS – it concentrates them.
- Don’t assume bottled water is safer – it isn’t federally regulated for PFAS either.
- Get a water filter that’s actually certified – look for NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or 58 certification specifically for PFOA/PFOS reduction – usually reverse osmosis or the right kind of activated carbon.
- Keep every notice you receive about PFAS – those dated letters prove what was in your water, when, and that your provider knew.
- Talk to your doctor, especially if you’ve lived in the area a long time.
Do you have a legal claim?
Sometimes. Most PFAS cases fall into one of two groups. Cities and water districts sue the chemical companies to cover the cost of cleaning up the water. And people who got sick after years of drinking contaminated water sue the companies that made the chemicals or let them get into the ground.
Two California laws are pertinent here:
- Deadlines are short – You generally have two years to file – but the time is not measured from when you first drank the water. The time starts when you find out, or reasonably should have found out, that your illness is connected to the exposure. For a lot of people, that’s the day a notice shows up from the water district, or the day a doctor mentions PFAS contamination as potentially related to a diagnosis.
- You may not have to already be sick in order to pursue a legal claim.- California courts have, in some circumstances, allowed people to recover the cost of medical testing – regular screening to catch a problem early – when the exposure makes that testing reasonably necessary.
Every case is different: what was in the water, how long you drank it, what’s going on with your health, and who put the chemicals there in the first place are all relevant factors. A lawyer can sort that out – and it’s a lot better to ask early than to find out later that the deadline already passed.
If you’ve been drinking water with documented PFAS contamination and you’ve been diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, or another condition linked to these chemicals, we’d like to hear from you. Contact Matern Law Group today for a free, confidential case evaluation.
Sources
- EPA – Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – Drinking Water
- EPA – Proposed PFAS Rescission Rule and Proposed PFOA and PFOS Compliance Extension Rule
- EPA – Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS
- California State Water Resources Control Board – PFAS in Drinking Water
- Environmental Working Group – PFAS tap water protections for almost 19 million Californians at risk if EPA weakens limits (May 7, 2025)
- OEHHA – Chemicals Listed Effective November 10, 2017 as Known to Cause Reproductive Toxicity: PFOA and PFOS and The Proposition 65 List
- AB 1200 (2021) – Plant-based food packaging: cookware: hazardous chemicals
- Exponent – Veto Cancels California PFAS Ban in Food Packaging and Other Products
- NSF – Forever Chemicals and the Advancement of Filtration Standards
