New EPA standards affect Livingston water

From Enterprise Staff

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water April 10. While there are more than 12,000 types of individual forever chemicals, the new EPA standards set limits for five of them, including “PFAS.”

PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of chemicals used since the 1940s to repel oil and water and resist heat. PFAS are a key component of firefighting foam. It is easily dissolved in water, which allows it to seep into the soil, groundwater and aquifers. PFAS are considered a “forever chemical” because they do not naturally break down and can remain in the soil and water indefinitely.

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The new standards require all public water utility systems to submit PFAS data to the EPA. So far, only about 24% of them have submitted the data nationally, including 49 public water utility systems in Texas, one of which is the City of Livington’s.

“The City of Livingston has a 50-year contract in which it purchases surface water from Lake Livingston through the Trinity River Authority, ensuring its citizens will have water for years to come. That surface water is treated at the Trinity River Authority Water Treatment Plant, of which the city has exclusive rights,” Livingston City Manager Bill S. Wiggins said. “We’ve spoken with TRA. They are aware of it and are on top of it. They are being very proactive.”

The EPA expects all data to be submitted by 2026. As far as compliance goes, the EPA has stated that public water systems must complete initial PFAS monitoring and begin notifying the public about these findings by 2027. Additionally, public water systems with PFAS levels above the new MCLs must start implementing solutions to reduce PFAS levels by 2029.