Best of Earth911 Podcast: Avoiding PFAS and Other Water Contaminants

Drinking water is at risk of becoming scarce in the face of climate change. More than 50% of the nation has experienced drought since 2000. Rich “Raz” Razgaitis, CEO of Bluewater North America, a water purification company, joins the conversation to discuss the rising incidence in tap water of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, the forever chemicals used in everything from the lining of fast food containers and firefighting foams to cosmetics and waterproof clothing. A recent United States Geological Survey study found that as much as 45% of U.S. tap water is contaminated with PFAS. Rich last joined us in early 2022, before the company he co-founded, FloWater, was acquired by Bluewater.

Water filtering, use, and reuse will become a more prominent feature of daily life in the coming years. The USGS study, however, is a wake-up call about chemical contamination. It found at least one type of PFAS in almost half of 716 samples taken from taps around the nation from public and private water sources. The Eastern seaboard and Midwest have the most contaminated water systems. And several cities in the West with heavy industry and military bases also have PFAS-contaminated water. You can learn more about Bluewater North America at https://www.bluewatergroup.com/us

Editor’s Note: This podcast originally aired on Dec. 8, 2023.