TL;DR: If you've just learned PFAS may be in your tap water, you have three immediate actions: find out what's actually there, choose a removal method that works for your specific contaminants, and consider whether filtering the existing supply is the right long-term answer at all. The first two are well documented. The third is the option most guides skip.
A 2023 study from the U.S. Geological Survey, "Tap Water Study Detects PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Across the US", found that 45% of US drinking water samples contained at least one PFAS compound. When PFOA was detected, 48% of samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's then-proposed safety limit; for PFOS, 70% exceeded it. The EPA's maximum contaminant level goal for both is zero, meaning any detection crosses the agency's stated health goal. That's why systems like Aquaria's Hydropack, which generate water from humidity rather than drawing from contaminated supply, have become part of the household water conversation in 2026.
What Are PFAS, and Why Are They in My Water?
PFAS are a class of more than 8,000 synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam, food packaging, and industrial manufacturing. The carbon-fluorine bonds that make them useful also make them nearly indestructible in the environment and in the human body, where they have half-lives measured in years.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2023 tap water study, PFAS exposure has been linked to developmental, metabolic, and immune disorders and certain cancers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first federal drinking water limits for six PFAS compounds in its April 2024 "PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation", setting enforceable limits of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS individually. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply.
PFAS got into the water through industrial discharge, military training, landfill leachate, and agricultural runoff. Once in groundwater, they don't break down. They migrate.
How Do I Find Out If PFAS Are Actually in My Water?
The answer depends on where your water comes from.
If you're on public water, start by reading your Consumer Confidence Report. Every community water system in the U.S. is required to publish one annually, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hosts a directory at its Consumer Confidence Report page. Your CCR lists any regulated contaminants detected in the past year, including the six PFAS now covered by the federal rule. If your system tested above the new limits, the report will say so. If it didn't test for PFAS at all, that's also information: small systems have until 2027 to begin monitoring under the new rule.
Cross-reference what you find against the Environmental Working Group's PFAS Contamination Map, which aggregates utility reporting and state-level testing data into a searchable database. EWG's map often surfaces detections that haven't yet appeared in formal CCRs, especially for industrial sites.
If you're on a private well, none of the above applies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's December 2024 "Private Wells and PFAS Fact Sheet" is explicit: roughly 40 million Americans on private wells have no mandatory PFAS monitoring. The federal rule doesn't apply to them. Whatever's in their water, they don't know about it unless they pay for the test themselves.
A proper PFAS test for a private well runs $100 to $300 and uses EPA Method 537.1 or Method 533. Ask the lab which method they use, and look for a state-certified drinking water lab; your state environmental agency maintains a list.
What Filters Actually Remove PFAS, and What Doesn't?
The filter aisle is full of products that imply they remove "contaminants" without saying which ones, and "carbon filter" covers a huge range of products that perform very differently against PFAS.
The key certification to look for is NSF/ANSI Standard 53, specifically with PFOA and PFOS named in the certification claim. "Certified to NSF/ANSI 53" alone is not enough; the certification has to list the specific contaminants the filter is rated to remove. Check the product label, then verify it on the NSF certified product listing.
What Are the Limits of Filtering?
Filtering works if everything goes right. It fails quietly when it doesn't. Three failure modes are worth understanding.
First, filter maintenance has to be religious. A reverse osmosis membrane that should be replaced at month 30 but isn't replaced until month 42 can fail abruptly, not gradually. Carbon cartridges saturate and start releasing contaminants at concentrations higher than the input. There's no warning light. A homeowner who buys an RO unit and forgets about it five years later may be drinking water worse than the tap.
Second, short-chain PFAS slip through. The federal regulation covers six compounds out of more than 8,000. Standard granular activated carbon performs well against PFOA and PFOS but inconsistently against newer short-chain replacements (PFBS, GenX, ADONA). RO removes more. None remove all of them.
Third, filters don't make PFAS go away. They concentrate them. Reverse osmosis brine carries the rejected PFAS down the drain and back into the wastewater system. Spent carbon cartridges go into landfills where the PFAS leach out again.
For many households on contaminated public water with regulated PFAS being addressed by their utility, a well-maintained RO system is a reasonable solution. For others, particularly private well owners, families with infants, or anyone who would rather not manage a treatment system for the rest of their lives, there's a fourth option worth understanding.
What If You Don't Want to Filter Water That Was Contaminated to Begin With?
The treatment industry has spent decades getting better at removing PFAS from contaminated water. A different question is whether the water in your home needs to come from a contaminated source at all.
Aquaria's Hydropack pulls humidity out of the air, condenses it, and filters it before it reaches the tap. The water never touches soil, never travels through pipes that may have leached PFAS, and never originates in an aquifer that may have absorbed industrial discharge fifty years ago. There's nothing in the source water to remove because the water was never in contact with the source of contamination.
In an August 2025 Pace Analytical laboratory report (#VXTKQ6), water produced by Aquaria's Hydropack was tested for 14 PFAS analytes by EPA Method 537.1, including PFOA and PFOS. Every analyte returned NOT DETECTED. Aquaria has also commissioned independent testing through Microbac Laboratories, Pace Analytical, and EMSL Analytical covering more than 100 substances, with results non-detect or below EPA maximum contaminant levels and WHO guideline values.
This is not a guarantee that every drop from every Hydropack will always be free of PFAS; test samples are not universal guarantees. It is a verifiable lab result on a specific batch of water, and it's the kind of data the rest of the industry struggles to provide because traditional filters are inherently downstream of the contamination.
Aquaria customer, Melissa, in an interview about her installation, described the difference plainly:
"The water tastes great, it's very clean, it's very easy to use. Clothes are softer, my hair is softer, everything has been better. The water quality has improved significantly."
The Hydropack isn't always the right answer. Homes in arid climates with persistent humidity below 30% will see reduced production, and households with very low electricity costs and the discipline to maintain RO may prefer that route. But for the homeowner asking what to do about PFAS, atmospheric water generation belongs on the list of options.
What Should I Do Right Now?
Action depends on your situation. Pick the one that matches:
If you're on public water and your CCR shows PFAS above the EPA limit: Your utility must come into compliance by 2029 under the federal rule. In the meantime, install an NSF/ANSI 53-certified RO system or a certified carbon filter listing PFOA and PFOS, and retest your filtered water annually with a third-party lab.
If you're on public water and your CCR shows no detections: You're in the lower-risk group, but the EPA notes data on PFAS exposure does not exist for over one-third of the U.S. population. If you live near a military base, an industrial site, or a landfill, consider a private test for peace of mind.
If you're on a private well: Test now using EPA Method 537.1 or 533 through a state-certified lab. Don't assume your area is fine because city water nearby tested clean; private wells draw from groundwater that doesn't follow utility boundaries. If results show detections, the same filter options apply, and atmospheric water generation is especially worth considering since you're already managing your own water infrastructure with no utility safety net.
If your household includes infants, pregnant family members, or anyone with elevated health risks: Treat any PFAS detection at any level as worth acting on. The EPA's health goal of zero exists because no exposure threshold has been established as safe for sensitive populations. Bottled water is a reasonable bridge but, per Consumer Reports investigations, not a reliable long-term answer; the FDA does not require PFAS testing of bottled water.
If you're at the point of evaluating treatment systems versus a source-elimination approach for the long term, seeing which Hydropack model fits your home and climate is a reasonable next step. The right answer is the one that gets you to clean water without becoming a second job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does boiling water remove PFAS?
No. Boiling concentrates PFAS rather than removing them. As water evaporates, the PFAS compounds remain in the remaining liquid at higher concentrations than before. Boiling is effective against many biological contaminants, but not chemical contaminants like PFAS.
Does a Brita filter remove PFAS?
No, with one exception. Standard Brita pitchers do not remove PFAS. The Brita Elite (formerly Longlast+) line is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for PFOA and PFOS reduction. Verify the specific model and certification claim on the NSF certified product database before relying on it.
Is bottled water PFAS-free?
No, not reliably. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require bottled water manufacturers to test for PFAS, and independent investigations by Consumer Reports have found measurable PFAS in several major bottled water brands. Treat bottled water as a temporary measure, not a long-term solution.
How long do PFAS stay in the body?
PFOS has a half-life of approximately 4 to 5 years in human blood; PFOA, roughly 2 to 4 years, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention summaries. Stopping ongoing exposure does lower blood levels over time, which is why addressing your water source matters even for compounds already in your body.
Do private wells get tested for PFAS?
No. Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Private Wells and PFAS Fact Sheet, roughly 40 million Americans rely on private wells with zero mandatory PFAS monitoring. Testing is the well owner's responsibility, and most owners have never done it.
