Search 'forever chemical' test results in Long Island drinking water

Every five years, the federal Environmental Protection Agency requires the country’s water providers to test for about 30 new contaminants — a process the agency calls the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, or UCMR.

The samples are drawn from the water after it has been treated to accurately reflect the quality of the water that is ultimately delivered to household faucets. The goal is to gather information about how prevalent they are and whether they should be subject to federal regulations.

In 2023, water utilities began to look for 23 short-chain PFAS, cousins to six regulated PFAS compounds; sampling continues through 2025 and reporting is expected to be completed next year.