New Analysis: LA Waterkeeper Samples from LA River Show Shocking Levels of PFAS Contamination

New Data Collected by Waterkeeper Alliance Found 98% of Surface Waters Tested Across the Country Were Contaminated by Dangerous PFAS Chemicals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

June 26, 2025

Photo Credit: Waterkeeper Alliance

(Los Angeles, Calif.) — Today, Waterkeeper Alliance released a new analysis of American waterways that sounds the alarm on a PFAS pollution emergency. In a test of waterways from across the country, 98% were found to be contaminated with one or more types of PFAS chemicals, with concentrations frequently exceeding health-based criteria.  

Here in Los Angeles, LA Waterkeeper (a member of Waterkeeper Alliance) took samples in the LA River upstream and downstream of the LA-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant outfall into the river. The sampling showed that water both upstream and downstream of the outfall contained multiple types of PFAS, in line with the national report that demonstrates these “forever chemicals” are nearly ubiquitous in waterways around the country. 

Developed in partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation and local Waterkeeper groups in 19 states, including LA Waterkeeper, samples were collected from U.S. surface waters upstream and downstream of 22 wastewater treatment plants and 10 permitted biosolids land application sites. The results were striking: 95% of sites downstream from wastewater treatment plants and 80% of sites downstream from biosolids fields showed elevated PFAS levels. 

“This study provides the information necessary for local, state, and federal leaders to take action and protect the health and safety of our communities here in Los Angeles and across the country,” said Kelly Shannon McNeill, LA Waterkeeeper’s associate director.  

These findings are an important step toward filling in a major data gap and validate the Alliance’s call for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and enforce federal standards for PFAS in drinking water and surface water discharges under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. In particular, the agency must adopt national Effluent Limitation Guidelines, including pretreatment standards, and water quality criteria for PFAS. 

Federal, state, and local officials must also prioritize funding for PFAS monitoring and the deployment of treatment technologies to protect all communities, especially disproportionately impacted by “forever chemicals” and other forms of pollution.  

The extent of PFAS contamination in U.S. surface waters was first revealed by Waterkeeper Alliance’s 2022 Phase I monitoring project. More than 100 Waterkeeper groups collected 228 water samples from waterways across 34 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The results showed that 83% of the sampled waters were contaminated with hazardous PFAS compounds. 

Measurable levels of PFAS were detected in at least one waterway in 29 states and D.C., often exceeding EPA’s health advisory limits for drinking water. Since at least the 1950s, PFAS have been widely used in manufacturing and are found in many consumer, commercial, and industrial products. Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS do not break down over time. Instead, these dangerous chemicals accumulate in people, wildlife, and the environment. As a result, PFAS have been found in surface water, air, soil, food, and many commercial materials. Scientific studies increasingly link these toxic chemicals to serious health conditions such as cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive issues, immunodeficiencies, and hormonal disruptions. 

Despite serious health risks, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to weaken existing federal limits on PFAS "forever chemicals" in drinking water, delay compliance deadlines for regulations targeting PFOA and PFOS, and introduce a federal exemption framework that would effectively shield polluters from accountability. 

These data plainly demonstrate that local, state, and federal governments must act with urgency to control persistent PFAS contamination across the country. The current lack of oversight puts the health and safety of communities and ecosystems across the nation at risk and results in costly cleanup and treatment activities to remove PFAS contamination after it has occurred. To learn more, visit waterkeeper.org and lawaterkeeper.org.  

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