When forever chemicals contaminate drinking water, private well owners may be the last to know

The roughly 40 million Americans who get drinking water from wells are at particular risk when harmful forever chemicals contaminate the supply. Odorless and colorless, the chemicals known collectively as PFAS are linked to increased risk of certain cancers. While water from a utility will be forced to meet federal PFAS limits, those limits won’t apply to private wells. And well owners are often the last to learn about contamination. At least 20 states don’t test private wells beyond areas where PFAS problems are suspected. When a well is tainted, it can take homeowners years to find a new source of clean water.