Wastewater Treatment Plants Channel ‘Forever Chemicals’ Into Waterways Nationwide

A study by the Waterkeeper Alliance documented elevated PFAS concentrations downstream of wastewater treatment facilities and fields treated with biosolids in 19 states. Unregulated discharge from industry sources are to blame, the group says.

By Anika Jane Beamer
July 2, 2025
Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images 
Anika Jane Beamer

Anika Jane Beamer is an Outrider fellow at Inside Climate News and a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

 
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