PFAS ⁠in tap water

What is PFAS exactly?

PFAS is the collective name of a group of chemicals, namely per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They can withstand high temperatures very well and repel water, dirt and grease. This is why they are widely used in the industrial sector and why you come across them in products that we use daily.

The group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances consists of almost 6000 different kinds of substances. PFAS substances are man-made and do not occur naturally on earth. They are also barely biodegradable, which means they remain in the environment for a very long time. They are therefore sometimes referred to as ‘forever chemicals’.

What are PFAS used for?

The different types of PFAS have useful properties. For example, they repel grease, dirt and water. As a result, they are in a lot of products:

• non-stick coating of pans
• rainwear, outdoor sportswear and skiwear with water-repellent coating
• baking paper
• pizza boxes
• drink packaging
• cosmetics
• batteries
• fire extinguishers and fire-fighting foam

How does PFAS end up in the environment?

PFAS ends up our environment in different ways. The main sources of pollution are:

• Producers of PFAS. Manufacturing PFAS creates waste products at factories. These substances are released into the environment through the air and wastewater.
• Processors of PFAS. PFAS is widely used by manufacturers to make materials grease- and water-repellent. PFAS can be released via waste, wastewater and air.
• Extinguishing fires with fire-fighting foam. The extinguishing foam in fire extinguishers usually contains PFAS. Firefighters also use this type of fire-fighting foam when extinguishing certain types of fires.
• Waste processors, such as landfills, wastewater treatment plants and waste incinerators, process materials which contain PFAS. PFAS may be released in the process.

Our behaviour as consumers also releases PFAS into the environment. We regularly buy products that contain PFAS. After using them, we throw them away. When processing waste, PFAS can be released into the environment.

How do I ingest PFAS?

People can ingest PFAS in different ways. For example, through the air, our food, and through tap water. We ingest most of the PFAS through food -about 83 to 98 percent. We ingest the remaining 2 to 17 percent through tap water.

How does PFAS end up in tap water?

The production and processing of PFAS releases waste products. These substances are released into the environment through the air and wastewater. PFAS seeps through the soil and can get into groundwater. Water that is contaminated with PFAS can be discharged into rivers by manufacturers. Waternet uses both groundwater and river water from the Lek to make tap water.

Is my tap water still safe?

According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), water from the tap is safe to drink. You can just go on drinking it. We measure water quality every day. The tap water we supply complies with strict legal requirements. Moreover, the amount of PFAS in our tap water is also within statutory limits.

The RIVM recommends setting stricter standards and guideline values for Dutch tap water in the future. These guidance levels take into account new insights and weight the various types of PFAS differently.

PFAS remains in the body

We store the PFAS we ingest in our bodies. As a result, the amount of PFAS we store in our bodies is gradually increasing. It goes without saying that this is not something we want. This is why Waternet is researching ways to reduce the amount of PFAS in tap water.

Supplementary treatment pilot

In 2022, we started a pilot study. Waternet will clean some of the activated carbon filters at our water treatment plants faster. This activated carbon filter is 1 of the 10 steps in making tap water. This activated carbon filter traps harmful substances such as PFAS. Cleaning these filters more frequently will reduce the amount of PFAS in tap water.

What does Waternet measure in tap water?

Waternet keeps a close eye on tap water quality. We measure the amount of PFAS every month. This year, our research laboratory has continued to improve the techniques for testing water. Our measurement methods are even more accurate now, so that we can reliably measure even very small amounts of PFAS. Tap water supplied by Waternet more than meets European requirements for PFAS.

View our water quality reports here (in Dutch)

Clean tap water starts at the source

PFAS does not belong in the environment and certainly not in our sources of tap water. Tap water companies want a European ban on all PFAS substances. The requirements for discharging PFAS must be made stricter. What does not end up in the source also does not have to be removed.

Together with the Union of Regional Water Authorities, the tap water umbrella organisation VEWIN and the European water umbrella organisation EurEau, we are firmly committed to achieving this. We also take extra care to protect our water sources by constantly measuring water quality. This is the quickest way to identify whether there are substances in the tap water that do not belong in it.