MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources says it has notified public drinking water system operators to start testing for a class of potentially toxic chemicals.
It said Thursday that the move is part of an expanded effort to identify sources of PFAS (PEE-fahs) contamination in the environment.
All public and non-community water systems are required to test for PFAS by December 2019. If the contaminants exceed 20 parts per trillion, the water system must act to reduce the contamination level.
PFAS are industrial chemicals that have been increasingly turning up in public water supplies and private wells.
One has been found in wells around two former factories in Bennington.
The substances have been linked to health threats ranging from cancer to decreased fertility.
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