With the deadline approaching for water utilities to filter toxic PFAS from their supplies, EPA needs to offer better guidance to them on how to dispose of the ultra-concentrated waste that comes from that treatment, a government watchdog said Tuesday.
The Government Accountability Office found that drinking water utilities are struggling to figure out how to handle the byproducts from filtering the “forever chemicals,” especially since the Biden administration has also finalized a rule designating some of the substances as hazardous under the Superfund program — a move that could confer strict liability on the systems.
The agency has issued a series of guidance documents and enforcement memos regarding water systems’ legal liability, but water utilities and trade organizations say have struggled to parse the pile of documents and fear the legal consequences from any missteps.
“EPA could help address public water systems’ confusion and desire for guidance by creating a single, straightforward, and easily accessible resource that summarizes existing regulations, policies, and guidance relevant to the disposal of PFAS-contaminated waste,” GAO recommended.
