MP introduces Bill to set legal PFAS limits in drinking water

Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson has presented a Bill to Parliament that would introduce a statutory limit for PFAS concentration in drinking water, and require water companies to monitor and limit PFAS levels in drinking water supplies.

Citing multiple health grounds and PFAS limits in drinking water in the US and EU, she argued: “This is not radical action.”

Presenting the Bill, Wilson accepted PFAS chemicals are everywhere including in the food chain, but argued “we must start somewhere, and that is why I am calling for the Government to start with our drinking water”.

She said: “Despite all the alarming health risks… there is currently no statutory regulation of PFAS chemicals in England and Wales and no legal limit on the amount of PFAS present in our drinking water. There is only guidance that water is ‘wholesome’ and a limit of 0.1 micrograms for only 47 out of the thousands of existing PFAS chemicals. It is fair to say that the presence of carcinogenic, non-degradable forever chemicals makes our water far from wholesome, and instead akin to a chemical cocktail that desperately needs regulation.”

She argued that we cannot rely on guidance alone: “Trust in water companies is at an all-time low, thanks to eye-watering bills, the billions of litres of water lost through leaks, sky-high bonuses and illegal sewage dumping. Against that backdrop, it is no surprise that people do not trust water companies to safeguard our water quality. It is my belief that these water companies will only take steps if we make them do so, with binding limits set in law.”

The Bill has cross-party support and the Second Reading is scheduled for 24 January.