Many Indiana and Kentucky Drinking Water PFA Levels Over Federal Limits

My New Year’s Resolution: Drink More Water

My New Year's resolution for the past few years has been the same – drink more water. Last year, I purchased a giant water jug and set a goal to finish it each day. The jug wasn't dishwasher safe, so it wasn’t ideal for long-term use. I upgraded to a 40 oz Stanley cup.

At first, when my daughter HAD to get a Stanley, I thought it was kind of silly to care so much about a drinking vessel. But when my husband bought me one, I fell in love. It’s the handle. It's soft, easy to pick up and carry around. I like stainless steel because it avoids plastic leaching chemicals into my water. It also keeps my drink at the perfect temperature, which isn’t hard because I prefer room-temperature water. I like it so much I even got a little whale shark coin purse to hold my eye drops. It’s the only thing besides my phone that goes everywhere with me.

My goal is to drink at least 40 oz a day, though I often drink more. But recently, I learned that maybe I’m not being as healthy as I thought. Turns out, our water is contaminated with forever-chemicals, and is well above federal limits.

The National Drinking Water Standard for PFAS

According to a USA Today article, in April 2024, the Biden Administration set a national drinking water standard. A press release described it as the “first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals.’” Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, liver and heart damage, and immune and developmental issues in infants and children.

Sounds great, right? But the Trump Administration later reconsidered some PFAS regulations. They did not rescind limits for PFOA and PFOS, but they reconsidered PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the Hazard Index mixture to ensure that new regulations followed the legal process under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA stated this was to ensure any new rules are legally defensible and scientifically sound in a press release. 

“This is a public health betrayal, plain and simple,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. “The EPA is bowing to industry pressure and leaving millions exposed to toxic PFAS in their tap water.”

According to an EPA PowerPoint, where PFOA and PFOS are found, the agency plans to develop a rulemaking to provide additional time for compliance, including proposing to extend the deadline to 2031. States seeking primacy for implementing PFAS regulations can request additional time to develop applications.

But back in January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied EPA’s request to partially vacate portions of its 2024 PFAS drinking water rule in American Water Works Association, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 24-1188.

A unanimous three-judge panel refused to go back on the Biden rule while the lawsuit continues. The court hasn’t decided who is right or wrong in the lawsuit yet.
So, the Biden-era PFAS limits are still in effect, but this could change later depending on the final court decision. Source: https://www.liskow.com/

PFOA and PFOS: The Forever Chemicals

Only a few states have regulations surrounding forever-chemicals in drinking water. Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee do not have regulations, but Illinois does. You can see a map of all the state regulations here. And as it turns out, many local areas have high levels. According to USA Today:

“The number of affected drinking water systems grows with each update as the EPA adds more test results, and USA TODAY’s analysis shows annual averages at 667 water systems have now surpassed limits the EPA announced a year ago.”

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I looked up some local water systems and here’s what I found:

German Township Water District, located in Evansville, IN, serves 12,890 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically one chemical at one location.

Gibson Water Authority, located in Haubstadt, IN, serves 4,775 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically two chemicals at one location; the highest single measurement was 1.2 times over the limit.

Mount Vernon Water Works, located in Mount Vernon, IN, serves 6,426 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically four chemicals at one location; the highest single measurement was slightly over the limit.

Morganfield Water Works, located in Morganfield, KY, serves 5,170 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically two chemicals at one location.

Pike-Gibson Water, Inc., located in Oakland City, IN, serves 10,000 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically five chemicals at two locations; the highest single measurement was 2 times over the limit.

Owensboro Municipal Utilities, located in Owensboro, KY, serves 60,473 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically one chemical at one location; the highest single measurement was 1.3 times over the limit.

E Daviess Co Water Assoc Inc, located in Knottsville, KY, serves 11,997 customers and PFAS were detected. Testing found one chemical at one location, and the highest single measurement was 1.3 times over the federal limit.

Daviess Co Water District, located in Owensboro, KY, serves 33,655 customers and PFAS are over the limit – specifically PFOA was measured 1.1 times over the limit.

Union County Water District, located in Morganfield, KY, serves 6,117 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically three chemicals at one location; the highest single measurement was 2.2 times over the limit.

North McLean Co Water District, located in Livermore, KY, serves 2,934 customers and PFAS are over the limit – specifically PFOA was slightly over the limit.

Mount Carmel, located in Mt Carmel, IL, serves 7,015 customers and PFAS are detected – specifically two chemicals at one location; the highest single measurement was 1.2 times over the limit.

SOURCE: USA TODAY analysis of the EPA's UCMR 5 data, last updated Jan. 15, 2026

Put your address in this map for the results where you live.

Those aren't great results.

How Can You Remove Forever Chemicals from Your Water?

So, if you don't start filtering your own water now, you could be drinking forever chemicals for the next five years. According to Consumer Reports, only indpendently tested and certified filters will remove forever chemicals. Certified products are monitored and subject to follow-up testing to ensure the product is effective.

It goes on to say that, "Reputable third-party testing organizations include the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Water Quality Association (WQA), International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), UL Solutions, CSA Group, and Intertek (ETL). NSF, WQA, and IAPMO allow you to search for certified products on their websites. Certified products will also bear a seal from the testing organization that identifies which contaminants they reduce. For a filter that can remove PFAS, look for one with the code NSF/ANSI 53 (or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis systems), followed by the manufacturer’s claim that the product can remove PFAS."

If your filter isn't certified by one of these third-party testing organizations, there's a good chance that it's just junk.