Did You Know “Forever Chemicals” May Be in Your Well Water — and Most People Never Test?
What PFAS is, why it’s a growing concern in real estate, and how a water quality test gives you the facts before you close.
“Forever chemicals.” It’s a term that sounds alarming — and for good reason.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of more than 12,000 synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured and used in products since the 1940s. They’re in firefighting foam, food packaging, cookware coatings, stain-resistant carpet treatments, waterproof fabrics, and industrial processes. Their defining characteristic — the reason they’re called “forever chemicals” — is that they don’t break down naturally in the environment or in the human body.
They accumulate. Over years. Over decades.
And increasingly, they’re showing up in drinking water sources — including private wells across the United States, with concentrations high enough to require federal regulatory action for the first time in history.
If you’re buying or selling a home with a private well, understanding PFAS water testing is no longer optional information. It’s becoming standard practice.
What Did the EPA Do About PFAS?
In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the first nationally enforceable drinking water limits for PFAS in history. The new Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) set a standard of 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS — the two most studied and most prevalent PFAS compounds.
To put that number in perspective: 4.0 parts per trillion is extraordinarily small. This standard reflects the EPA’s determination that even very low concentrations of these chemicals over time pose meaningful health risks.
Maine and New Hampshire have been at the forefront of state-level PFAS regulation, with Maine passing legislation requiring landlords to test private well water for PFAS and disclose results, and establishing mandatory PFAS disclosure standards for home sellers as those regulations take effect. North Carolina is among the states with significant PFAS contamination from industrial sites and military installations.
Where Does PFAS Come From in Water?
PFAS enters water supplies through multiple pathways:
- Industrial discharge from manufacturing facilities that historically used or produced PFAS compounds
- Military and fire training sites where AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) was used — a major source across much of North Carolina, which has a significant military installation footprint
- Landfill leachate from disposal of PFAS-containing products
- Agricultural application of PFAS-contaminated biosolids (sewage sludge used as fertilizer)
- Atmospheric deposition from industrial sources
Well water is particularly vulnerable because private wells draw directly from groundwater aquifers, which can be contaminated by PFAS that has migrated through soil over time. Unlike municipal water systems, private wells are not subject to routine federal testing requirements — the homeowner is responsible for testing.
What Health Risks Are Associated With PFAS Exposure?
The human health research on PFAS is ongoing and evolving. Current evidence links prolonged exposure to elevated PFAS concentrations with:
- Increased risk of certain cancers (kidney, testicular, and others under study)
- Thyroid disease and hormone disruption
- Immune system effects, including reduced vaccine effectiveness
- High cholesterol
- Developmental effects in fetuses and infants
Because PFAS accumulate in the body over time, the risk is cumulative. People who have consumed PFAS-contaminated water for years before testing is performed may have carried elevated body burden for an extended period.
What Does PFAS Water Testing Actually Involve?
A water quality test for PFAS is a laboratory analysis. A water sample is collected from the home’s well or tap and sent to a certified laboratory, which quantifies the presence and concentration of PFAS compounds in the water.
At Focused Property Inspections, PFAS testing can be added to any home inspection — we coordinate sample collection as part of the inspection appointment. Results come from a certified laboratory and are reported clearly alongside your other inspection findings.
Two collection approaches are available:
- Self-collection kits: The homeowner or buyer collects the sample using a certified laboratory kit. Lower cost, appropriate when collection timing is flexible.
- Professional collection: An FPI inspector collects the sample during the inspection visit. Ensures proper collection protocol and integrates seamlessly with the inspection appointment.
Who Should Be Testing?
Any buyer purchasing a home on a private well should consider PFAS testing, particularly:
- Homes near military installations, airports, industrial sites, or known contamination zones
- Homes in rural or semi-rural areas where agricultural biosolid application has historically occurred
- Homes in Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, or any state with documented regional PFAS contamination
- Buyers with young children, pregnant women in the household, or individuals with immune or thyroid conditions
Sellers who want to offer transparent disclosure — or who are in states where PFAS disclosure is legally required or imminent — benefit from testing proactively so they can address findings and present clean results to buyers.
For Agents: PFAS Is Becoming Part of the Standard Conversation
This isn’t a niche issue for rural buyers anymore. PFAS contamination has been documented in suburban and urban groundwater. The regulatory environment is tightening. And buyers — especially younger, informed buyers — are asking about it.
Getting ahead of this conversation is better than having it after an offer is accepted. Adding a water quality test recommendation to your standard inspection checklist for all private well properties is straightforward and protects your clients.
Test the Water. Know the Answer.
Focused Property Inspections offers PFAS water testing and comprehensive water quality panels alongside any home inspection in North Carolina, Maine, and New Hampshire. One appointment. Complete information. Same-day report with lab results integrated.
Add water quality testing to your inspection:
📞 833-FPI-INSP (833-374-4677) | fpi-web.com
For Maine and New Hampshire inspections: (207) 839-6595
Focused Property Inspections — Veteran-Owned. Client-Focused. Detail-Driven.