Blog

Apr 06, 2024

How to Get PFAS Out of Your Drinking Water

Find out whether dangerous ‘forever chemicals' are in your water, and if they are, which filters can remove them When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions.

Find out whether dangerous ‘forever chemicals' are in your water, and if they are, which filters can remove them

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

News of toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" and their health risks keep spilling into mainstream America. Reports of multibillion-dollar settlements by alleged polluters, stricter government regulation, and local tap water crises have elevated public awareness and renewed calls to reduce these toxic substances from drinking water and the environment.

Used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, and even cosmetics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances include more than 12,000 chemicals that persist in the environment—and the human body—for a very long time. It’s nearly impossible to escape them: PFAS are so pervasive that they can be detected today in the air, water, soil, and human bloodstreams worldwide. They’ve been implicated in several health concerns, including cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, fertility problems, and immune system disorders, as well as increased cholesterol levels, obesity, and hormonal disorders.

At least 45 percent of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have some type of PFAS, according to a new study by the United States Geological Survey. That means nearly half of us might be consuming PFAS through our drinking water every day.

Are There PFAS in Your Water? How to Find Out. • Can a Water Filter Remove PFAS? • Water Filters That Remove PFAS

For the first time, in March, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed federal limits on six different PFAS in drinking water. If the proposal becomes law, municipalities will be required to regularly test their water for PFAs and keep those chemicals below accepted limits. Until then, however, it’s not so easy to determine if your drinking water contains PFAS.

Water utilities are currently required to test their water for various contaminants and share those results annually with the public, but in the absence of a federal mandate, many don’t test for PFAS. You can only be sure your utility tests for the chemicals if you live in a state that has established its own notification rules for PFAS. As of 2022, at least eight states have enacted legislation requiring monitoring of PFAS in public water systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. More have regulations in progress.

You can obtain a copy of this water-quality report (called a consumer confidence report, or CCR) from your water supplier. You might also find the CCR on the water supplier’s website or by using the EPA’s search tool. If you rent, ask your landlord or building manager, or contact your utility company directly for the report.

If your utility doesn’t test for PFAS, or if you get your water from a well, you can have your water tested by an EPA-certified lab. Two labs that performed well in CR’s tests were SimpleLab and WaterCheck from National Testing Laboratories. Be aware that testing for PFAS isn’t cheap—SimpleLab charges $299 and WaterCheck charges $499.

If your water test report indicates the presence of PFAS, or if you just want some peace of mind, a home water filter can be worth considering.

Most water filters CR tests are designed to improve taste and reduce odors (two of the biggest consumer complaints) by removing common contaminants in tap water. Some, including many tested by CR, are certified to meet specific standards for reducing chlorine and lead. CR does not routinely test water filters for removal of PFAS.

Reverse osmosis filters, which utilize high-pressure membranes, can be more than 90 percent effective at removing a wide range of PFAS, according to the EPA. They can be installed where the water enters the house or under the sink. They can get pricey—models tested by CR cost from about $260 to more than $2,200—not counting the cost of a plumber to install them. Some less expensive under-the-sink carbon-based filters can also effectively remove the most concerning PFAS, the EPA says. You can also find some faucet-mounted filters and water filter pitchers that remove or reduce several types of PFAS compounds.

The only way to be sure a water filter will reduce PFAS, however, is to make sure that it is certified to remove them. This means the product is independently tested and found to comply with an accepted standard specific to the contaminant. Certified products are monitored and subject to follow-up testing by the certifying agency to ensure that the product the consumer purchases will perform the same as the product that was tested.

“To remove a specific contaminant like PFAS from drinking water, consumers should choose a water filtration device that is independently certified to remove that contaminant by a recognized lab,” says Jim Nanni, associate director of appliance testing at CR.

Reputable third-party testing organizations include the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Water Quality Association (WQA), UL Solutions, CSA Group, and Intertek (ETL). Certified products will bear a seal from the testing organization.

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. Some organizations, such as NSF and WQA, enable you to search for certified products on their websites.

Be wary of filters that make bold PFAS claims without evidence of certification, Nanni says.

“Some products may make unsubstantiated claims,” Nanni says. “Some may even show a test report that suggests it supports their claim. But was that a legitimate test, from a legitimate lab of an actual sample of the product? And even if it was, that report is a one-time occurrence—not the continual monitoring that would occur if a product was certified.”

CR has identified the following water filters from our water filter performance ratings as certified for reduction of certain PFAS. In addition, the two under-sink filters below—the Brondell Coral UC300 Three Stage and the Aquasana AQ-5200—were independently tested for PFOA and PFOS removal by CR several years ago as part of a national investigation on tap water safety. Both models passed our test. Removal of PFOA and PFOS are indicators of total PFAS removal. However, the best way to ensure that any water filter you purchase lives up to its claims for PFAS removal is to check for current certification with NSF or WQA.

CR’s take: Our second-highest rated under-sink filter, the 12-inch-deep Brondell Coral UC300 Three Stage also nabs CR’s highest score for improving flavor, reducing odor and resistance to clogs, and it performs almost as well as the ratings leader in our flow-rate test. It’s certified by WQA to the NSF standard for removing PFOA and PFOS, lead and chlorine. It processes up to 600 gallons of water per filter swap (using a bank of three cartridges, including a sediment filter, a pre-carbon filter and a carbon block filter). An end-of-life indicator alerts you to the need for cartridge replacement, which runs about $75 per year.

CR’s take: The Aquasana AQ-5200 is certified to reduce PFOA, PFOS, lead, and chlorine, according to the NSF standard. It also scores comparably to the top four under-sink filters in our ratings for improving taste and reducing odor. But it’s not the fastest filter out there: In our tests, it took longer than other under-sink models to filter a quart of water. That said, it didn’t clog on us and it’s capable of filtering 500 gallons before the cartridge has to be replaced. A filter life indicator reveals when you’ll need a replacement, which will cost you about $120 a year. The Aquasana AQ-4000, a convenient faucet-mounted filter, is also certified to reduce PFOA and PFOS—up to 450 gallons of water before a filter change.

CR’s take: The ZeroWater Ready-Pour ZD-010RP is a capable water filter pitcher. It’s the only model in our ratings’ top five to be NSF certified for reduction of lead, chlorine, PFOS, and PFOA. It’s also very good at improving water flavor and reducing odor. We found this versatile pitcher to be resistant to clogs, meaning it will flow consistently over time. You’ll pay for that effectiveness with a pricey filter replacement cost of $78 per year. But it’s hard to ask for more from a water filter pitcher whose initial investment is less than $35.

CR’s take: The ClearlyFiltered COMIN16JU025114 is WQA-certified to reduce PFOS and PFOA and removes chlorine and lead to the NSF standard 53. It’s relatively expensive, costing $90, and didn’t stand out in our tests, earning an Overall Score of only 41 in our ratings, but it’s one of the few pitchers out there certified to remove PFAS. It did get satisfying scores for flavor and odor reduction, but it can clog easily and has a slow flow rate.

Keith Flamer

Keith Flamer has been a multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports since 2021, covering laundry, cleaning, small appliances, and home trends. Fascinated by interior design, architecture, technology, and all things mechanical, he translates CR’s testing engineers’ work into content that helps readers live better, smarter lives. Prior to CR, Keith covered luxury accessories and real estate, most recently at Forbes, with a focus on residential homes, interior design, home security, and pop culture trends.