Revealed: UK drinking water sources polluted with forever chemicals
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Exclusive: Water industry calls for ban on PFAS after analysis of sampling data shows contamination across country. Raw drinking water sources across England are polluted with toxic forever chemicals, new analysis has revealed, prompting the water sector to demand that ministers ban the substances and polluters pay for the astronomical cleanup costs.
![[Aerial photo of sewage works]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6d3f7788865f3d4a011a8de8040fd87cc22588d0/278_0_7106_4264/master/7106.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The areas covered by Affinity Water and Anglian Water were found to be particularly badly affected, and experts have said they fear “we are drastically underestimating the size of the problem”. There are more than 10,000 PFAS in use, known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment. Two of the substances, called PFOS and PFOA, are now banned after they were linked to cancers, thyroid disease and immune and fertility problems, and little is known about the toxic effects of the others. PFAS are used in a huge range of consumer products and industrial processes as well as firefighting foams, and pollution is now widespread in air, soils, water, wildlife and even human blood.
![[Duxford airfield]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/899275ac077b290f67f93cf118d770872d813129/0_171_3500_2101/master/3500.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
In an unprecedented move, the industry body Water UK has said it “wants to see PFAS banned and the development of a national plan to remove it from the environment which should be paid for by manufacturers.”. It described PFAS pollution as a “huge global challenge” and said: “The UK’s tap water is rated as the safest in the world, and companies are already taking action to reduce PFAS levels further.”.
