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FACT BRIEF

Does Fort Worth water contain 500 times the proposed federal limit of toxic 'forever chemicals?'

By Haley Samsel
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NO

On average, Fort Worth’s drinking water does not exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed limits on the amount of “forever chemicals” allowed in drinking water.

PFAS chemicals, found in many consumer products, are known as “forever chemicals” because they build up in the environment. They are linked to serious illnesses like cancer and birth defects.

The EPA’s proposal limits specific PFAS chemicals to 4 parts per trillion. Fort Worth’s 2023 tests found an average of 2.08 parts per trillion of PFOA and 2.05 parts per trillion of PFOS. Some individual water treatment plants reported amounts above the new federal limit.

The city does not meet the EPA’s lifetime health advisory for PFAS, a non-enforceable standard that identifies the amount people can be exposed to without expecting negative health effects. The advisory recommends limiting PFOA to .004 parts per trillion and PFOS to .02 parts per trillion.

See a full discussion of this at Fort Worth Report
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
City of Fort Worth Unregulated contaminant testing
City of Fort Worth PFAS
Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Health Advisories (HAs)
Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS
NPR EPA moves to limit toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
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Fort Worth Report
The Fort Worth Report is a 501(c)(3) organization that launched April 12, 2021. This new media outlet is built on a foundation of local leadership and local investment. It provides community-sourced journalism that exclusively supports and reports on the Fort Worth community with fact-based, thoughtful and contextual coverage without bias or predetermined agendas. The enterprise is governed by a mission statement, bylaws, and an organizational structure that ensures it remains faithful to these foundational principles.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.