November 2024 EPA Report Reveals 5,000 New Communities With Detected PFAS in Drinking Water
Last spring's EPA release of final Maximum Contamination Levels (MCLs) provides a new perspective that no amount of PFOA or PFAS exposure is safe.
On the record as a very concerned mom and citizen, if your community is contaminated, you should filter at the household level. Thanks to diligent water filtration companies, you have the opportunity to protect yourselves, children and pets.
But not all filters are created equally and you need to make sure you are using the correct filter, so either attend one of my PFAS Water Talks or read my deep dive article on assessing your water contaminants and filtration.
Western Washington Communities
Detected Forever Chemicals in Their Drinking Water**
921, 359 Residents
Water Systems
Mountain View
Sunset Farm
Enterprise Estates
Lisecc
Lyon Road Community
Ault Field
San Juan Estates
Hillcrest Village
Whispering Pines
Crossroads
Harrington Lagoon
Northgate Terrace
Cal Waterworks
Deer Lakes Estates
Mecca Community
Point Allen
Kackman Creek
Arlington Water Dept.
Arlington East Mutual
Arlington View Estates
Roseland Community
Priest Beach
Cross Valley
City of Goldbar
Lake Tuck
Sammamish Plateau
North Bend
City of Redmond
Madrona Beach
Bullitt Center
Loveland Mobile Estates
Highline
City of Renton
Issaquah Water
Issaquah Valley
Mirrormont
Cristalina
Cedar River
Forest Grove
Sawyerwood
Covington
Welchs
City of Auburn
Kent Water Dept.
Mountain View Water
Forest Grove Hills
Evergreen Sky Ranch
Lakehaven Utility
Montessori Spring Valley
City of Milton
Mountain View Edgewood
Towns Mobile Home Park
City of Puyallup
Valley Meadow
Ryanwood Improvement
Ranier View Park Addition
Enchanted Firs Mobile Estates
Orting 15
Graham Hill Mutual
Shadow Pines Mobile Estates
Whiskey Hollow-670
Fruitland Mutual
Meridian Terrace Mobile Home Park
Summit
Twin Firs
Spanaway
Nelson Ridge
Bethel Ranchettes
Kuzmianich
Crescent Park
Ranier Villa
Lakewood
Western State Hospitak
Westbridge Estates
Dupont
Share this article with those who live in the above listed communities and check out the water filter I've been using for my family since 2023.
**Source: I tallied up the Western WA communities with detected PFAS contamination in drinking water from the Environmental Working Group PFAS Map, sourced from the most recent Unregulated Contaminated Monitoring Rule EPA report.
I included communities West of the mountain passes, East of Puget Sound and as far South as DuPont (just because that seemed like an appropriate place to end the list).
Please know that drinking water contamination is not the fault of the water treatment facilities or our cities, it is caused by unregulated harmful chemicals that have moved into the global manufacturing of tens of thousands of products for nearly the past 75 years.
Because someone has to be responsible for cleaning up the mess, water utility companies are working on filtering and decontamination. But it will take time and billions of dollars (part of which needs to come from the federal government).
You Might Wonder Why I Took Time To Share This
I compiled this list because I care about my neighbors and want to do my part to raise the volume on this important health issue. After researching the topic among media outlets and public utility websites and community blogs, I could find very little reporting of the newly identified communities.
The worst part of most communications on this subject, very few people and organizations are recommending what people can do to safeguard their health. Many water suppliers have a link to an EPA website, but it's generic and not helpful.
Follow me on social media (links in top right) or come back to my blog regularly to learn more ways that you can make more informed decisions about products and lifestyle that will lead to better health outcomes for you and the beings you care about.
Environmental Working Group has many deep dive articles on their website and I recommend anyone who wants to feel empowered to check out what they are doing to safeguard our health.
What We Know about Health Effects
Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to*:
Reproductive
Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.

Development
Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes.

Cancer
Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.

Immunity
Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response.

Hormones
Interference with the body’s natural hormones.

Cholesterol
Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.

*Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Find the recommended affordable PFAS water filter that I've used for my family since 2023 here. If you have well water, use this link.

Stay Healthy
Filter Your Water
Ditch & Switch to Healthier Picks: Researched & Tried by Me, Chosen for My Family
I chose Epic Water to keep my family healthy back in August 2023 after assessing my city's drinking water contaminants and filtration needs.
If you would like help assessing the health of your local tap water, check out my deep dive water quality blog article or schedule a Ditch & Switch consultation with me and I'll do the deep dive for you!
More Helpful Resources
Here is a good Seattle Times article from last April, when the EPA lowered the maximum contaminant levels of forever chemicals in water.
Think bottled water is a healthier alternative to contaminated drinking water? Read this before you buy another case at Costco. Here is another article that addresses microplastic contamination in plastic water bottles.
Here is a deep dive article that I wrote about the murky situation about the health of our drinking water.
Want to see how your water measures up for other potential contaminants? Put your zip code into this tap water database, managed by EWG. Make sure you look at both tabs: "exceed guidelines" and "other contaminants." Seattle Public Utilities has 11 cancer-causing chlorination by-product chemicals that I like to filter our for my family and fur babies.