A new study found that nearly half of U.S. tap water samples contain toxic PFAS, or "forever chemicals." PFAS are used in hundreds of household items and can cause serious health problems, such as cancer, liver damage, and birth defects. The study found that people in urban areas are at higher risk of exposure to PFAS than people in rural areas. The EPA has proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS, but it is not yet in effect. Read the full article.

Waukesha will get its water through Milwaukee's water utility, which uses Lake Michigan as its water supply source, so Waukesha is awaiting the completion of the infrastructure Milwaukee is responsible for completing as part of the contract. Waukesha will switch water disinfectants, from the current chlorine to chloramines — a mix of chlorine and ammonia. The mix will be more concentrated at first, a necessary safety step, before being reduced later. At first, the water may carry a heavier chlorine taste, but that will fade once the system begins functioning normally. In regards to softeners, studies have shown residents generally start preferring water softeners when the hardness rating climbs to 9 grains per gallon. Read the full article.

The levels of "forever chemicals" found in fish harvested from the Great Lakes are much higher than in commercially raised fish, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed study, published in the Environmental Research journal, found that consuming freshwater fish harvested from urban areas 12 times per year could more than triple the level of PFOS — one of the most well-known and researched PFAS compounds — in residents of the U.S.
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Although the Journal Sentinel’s testing targeted communities close to businesses likely to emit PFAS, such as paper mills or metal fabricators, in 36 of the 40 tests no one else had ever before sampled the water in those areas, suggesting that if more testing were done in other Wisconsin cities, more tainted drinking water would be uncovered.
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The only results above the detection limit from the WDNR sampling project are listed below:

Sample Location:
Linnwood Treatment Plant: PFOS = 1.82ppt
Howard Treatment Plant: PFOS = 2.08 ppt
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Testing found PFAS in ground and surface water near Mitchell International Airport in 2019, stemming from the use of firefighting foam at the airport and by the Air National Guard 128th Air Refueling Wing, which remains on site, and the 440th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve, which left Milwaukee in 2007. Some of the highest levels of the chemicals were found in private drinking wells along the borders of the airport. Contaminated water was also found to flow into Lake Michigan. Milwaukee Water Works also routinely tests the city's drinking water for PFAS, finding very low levels of PFAS in its treated water, ranging from 0.7 parts per trillion to 2.3 parts per trillion. Milwaukee's drinking water is taken from Lake Michigan Read the full story.

The agency is releasing PFAS health advisories in light of newly available science and in accordance with EPA’s responsibility to protect public health. These advisories indicate the level of drinking water contamination below which adverse health effects are not expected to occur. Health advisories provide technical information that federal, state, and local officials can use to inform the development of monitoring plans, investments in treatment solutions, and future policies to protect the public from PFAS exposure.Read the full release.

Shower heads on hard water lost 75% of the flow rate in less than 18 months of simulated normal operations. Each 5 grains per gallon of water hardness causes a 4% loss in efficiency and a 4% increase in cost of energy in gas storage tank water heaters. In electric water heaters, each 5 grains per gallon of water hardness caused .4 pounds of scale accumulation each year. Read the full report.