EPA assigns $11.4 million to strengthen drinking water systems in PR.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $11.4 million in new drinking water funding for Puerto Rico under the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities program. (Facebook via AcueductosPR)

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, joined by Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) Executive Director Gabriella Boffelli, announced on Tuesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $11.4 million in new funding under the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) program.

The funds will be directed toward addressing the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) -- commonly known as “forever chemicals” due to their resistance to degradation -- as well as other emerging contaminants in Puerto Rico’s drinking water systems.

The program is part of a comprehensive EPA strategy to protect public health and ensure safe drinking water for all communities.

“Every person in Puerto Rico deserves the confidence that the water flowing from their tap is safe,” stated EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “This funding provides Puerto Rico’s communities with more tools to test for PFAS and other emerging contaminants, plan for long-term solutions, and carry out the infrastructure improvements necessary to protect public health”.

The governor expressed gratitude to EPA officials “for urgently addressing this critical issue.”

“These funds allow us to strengthen our drinking water systems, modernize essential infrastructure, and respond more effectively to the presence of emerging contaminants in our communities,” she said.

Boffelli of the PRFAA highlighted the impact of federal collaboration, adding that “we will continue to strengthen our coordination with federal agencies to support the efficient use of these funds for the direct benefit of our communities in Puerto Rico.”

The EC-SDC program represents a $1 billion national investment to help communities address emerging contaminants in drinking water.

* In Puerto Rico, the funds may be used to:

* Conduct water quality testing and monitoring

* Identify contamination from emerging chemicals

* Plan long-term solutions

* Improve and modernize drinking water infrastructure

* Support water systems and private wells in vulnerable communities.

A day earlier, the Trump administration announced that it will drop some limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water that officials had determined can cause cancer and other serious health problems, according to The New York Times.

The EPA said it would unravel the nation’s first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, reducing the limits established on six of the substances in 2024, and instead issuing narrower regulations that rescind protections for four of the substances and continue to protect against two of them, though companies will be able to request two extra years to comply with those, the Times reported.