RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Do you know what’s in your water? A bill that was recently introduced to the State Water Commission is centered on eliminating some of the dangerous contaminants you may find in your drinking water was just presented to the state water commission.
The water experts at the Virginia Department of Health are weighing in about how the water you drink could be impacted by this new bill.
House bill 1295 was originally introduced in the 2024 General Assembly Session and is already set to get a second chance in the 2025 session.
But before that vote can happen various state agencies are weighing in on the cost of improving water and the dangers of not doing so.
“I want to make sure we promote the value of public water as being safe,” said Bailey Davis the Chief of Field Operations for the Office of Drinking Water at the Virginia Department of Health.
Davis says if the house bill is adopted by the commission, it will help protect even the most vulnerable community groups from chemicals that people might not even know are making them sick-called PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances). PFAS were introduced in the 1940s and according to Davis, PFAS are used in things like nonstick spray for pots and pans, its also used to repel oil and grease.
“They’re short extremely strong bonds that don’t readily break in nature. Meaning once the chemicals are produced, they do not go away, which is why they’re dubbed ‘Forever Chemicals,” Davis said.
But according to Davis, forever chemicals which can be deadly can be removed or reduced through certain methods of water treatment or filtration.
“The removal of these products can be expensive. It requires an extra treatment, technology and materials that are in high demand,” Davis said.
Achieving removal or reduction requires point-of-use or point-of-entry filtration. Point-of-use involves treating water directly before someone drinks it, like filtering water through a pitcher filter.
With point-of-entry a system treats the water at the main line where water enters the dwelling, either method can be effective removing the invisible PFAS.
“They’re tasteless and odorless and they’re bio accumulate,” Davis said. “You’re not eliminating them from your body either. So, they can cause a long-term health care health effect.”
Regardless of the outcome of this bill the clock is already ticking for Virginia to meet new U.S Environmental Service Agency (EPA) water regulations. Those specific regulations require water systems to at least *monitor for certain PFAS and complete that monitoring by 2027.
“It’s going to be a difficult timeframe to accomplish just because some utilities will need to make major infrastructure improvements. And that’s where the funding will help out,” Davis said.
This bill asks for $5 million to monitor, treat and filter water for PFAS. The State Water Commission still needs to review a report that details exactly how much it would cost to manage PFAS.
