Recently released data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that several public water systems serving customers in Kentucky recorded levels of forever chemicals well above federal standards.
Forever chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, are human-made compounds found in materials such as Teflon, non-stick coatings, certain cosmetics, carpets, and various industrial products. Some PFAS can take hundreds of years to break down naturally. Exposure has been linked to higher cancer risks, developmental delays in children, hormone disruption, and other health concerns.
The EPA required all public water utilities to collect samples between 2023 and 2025 to test for dozens of chemical contaminants, including 29 types of PFAS. Two of these chemicals—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)—have legally enforceable maximum levels of four parts per trillion. Water systems must comply by 2029, although the EPA has proposed delaying the deadline by two years.
According to an analysis by USA Today, 10 public water systems serving customers in Kentucky recorded average PFOA or PFOS levels that exceed the EPA’s limits.
The highest contamination level was reported at Fort Campbell Water System, which operates a treatment center in Tennessee but serves the nearby Army base along the Kentucky-Tennessee border. On average, the system’s PFOS levels measured 6.2 times higher than the federal limit. The Army base has also faced lawsuits related to PFAS contamination in its water supply.
Other utilities in Kentucky with average PFOA or PFOS levels exceeding the federal limit of four parts per trillion (ppt) for each chemical include:
Corbin Utilities Commission, 4.1 ppt (PFOA)
North McLean County Water District, 4.1 ppt (PFOA)
Whitley County Water District, 4.5 ppt (PFOA)
Southeast Daviess County Water District, 4.5 ppt (PFOA)
Whitesville Water Works, 5.5 ppt (PFOA)
Georgetown Municipal Water Service, 5.9 ppt (PFOS)
Paducah Water Works, 6 ppt (PFOS)
Harrison County Water Association, 15 ppt (PFOS)
Cynthiana Municipal Water Works, 15 ppt (PFOS)
Lane Boldman, executive director of the Kentucky Conservation Committee, a legislative policy organization, said PFAS can be found in many areas of the home.
“It’s really in places that people don’t expect, and we need to get it phased out, because it is popping up in the waterways now in many, many states,” Boldman said.
EPA data shows that Paducah Water Works recorded an average PFOS level about one-and-a-half times higher than the federal maximum allowed during the testing period.
Jason Petersen, general manager of Paducah Water Works, said the system draws its water from the Ohio River. Employees test the water source monthly because the current treatment process does not address PFAS. He added that the utility has been monitoring PFAS levels since 2021.
“There are months where we’ll have the entire panel of PFAS constituents will be zero, but then other months, one constituent will be zero, and another will be six parts per trillion,” Petersen said. “So it is highly variable.”
Petersen said he does not know the exact cause of these fluctuations but noted that PFAS levels could be affected by discharges from chemical manufacturing companies upstream of the utility’s water source or by lower seasonal river levels.
“We’ve done some pilot testing to establish its effectiveness and we’re now looking in the near future to to move in the direction of what it does in addition to the treatment plant look like and start down that process,” Petersen said.
Because the EPA will not require compliance with PFAS maximum contaminant levels until at least 2029, utilities such as Paducah Water Works that test above federal standards still have time to implement measures to reduce these chemicals in their water supply.
After evaluating several treatment methods, Petersen said the Paducah utility plans to add Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) to its water treatment process. This filtration system uses small pieces of carbon that must be replaced periodically to absorb PFAS. Petersen added that GAC may also help address other occasional water quality issues in Paducah, including changes in taste and odor.
Adding GAC will be a major capital project for Paducah Water Works, so Petersen said the utility wants to ensure the investment aligns with compliance requirements.
“There will be a whole host of benefits, but we have to make sure that we know exactly what it’s going to take for us to comply,” Petersen said.
Along with its effort to delay compliance enforcement until 2031, the EPA has also attempted to eliminate four additional PFAS drinking water limits introduced under the Biden administration. However, a federal court has so far denied the agency’s requests to remove those regulations.
Petersen said Paducah Water Works is carefully preparing for the direction federal regulations may take. Still, the utility plans to wait for final official rules before beginning its GAC project.
“We’re talking about spending many millions of dollars, and we want to be absolutely sure that that is, in fact, going to achieve regulatory compliance, but good stewards of our customers’ money as well,” Petersen said.
Boldman said people who want to become more aware of PFAS in their homes should start by checking product labels.
“You need to be aware of what products can have these kind of chemicals,” Boldman said. “If it’s something that’s super water proof or stain resistant or non-stick, then you want to make some better choices on those kind of products, primarily.”
Boldman noted that many products containing PFAS are gradually being phased out. If residents plan to replace such items, she recommends contacting local waste management systems to learn how they handle PFAS disposal.
She also said lawmakers in Kentucky have introduced legislation several times—including during the current session—to establish a PFAS working group aimed at addressing the issue locally. House Bill 196, sponsored by Louisville Democratic state Rep. Nima Kulkarni, was sent to the House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in mid-January and has not progressed since.
“It’s been proposed several times, but it’s not lost on lawmakers that this is an issue that needs to be addressed,” Boldman said. “It’s almost like it’s so large a potential problem that people just don’t know where to start.”
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