By Lizzy Ferrara, Photo: Manuela Durson/Shutterstock, Housing Matters, June 21, 2023
Access to safe drinking water is a globally recognized basic human right. But research shows US tribal public water systems (PWS) and the homes they serve are historically neglected in planning and response efforts, placing a disproportionate burden of disease and unsafe housing on Indian Country.
This spring, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first-ever standards for six polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals for water health and safety standards, giving policymakers and regulators an opportunity to correct the harms of the past water safety efforts for Indian Country. To do so equitably will require addressing shortcomings and resulting harms of previous water safety efforts, as well as cocreating plans and monitoring and executing response efforts in partnership with tribal leadership.
The risks of PFAs
A growing health concern in our water supply, PFAS are a class of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in industry and by consumers since 1940 to make items resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. These chemicals don’t break down naturally and have seeped into our water systems, air, and soil, affecting human health. Data on the health effects of PFAS are still emerging, but preliminary results point to decreased ability to fight infection, decreased fetal and infant growth, increased risk of some types of cancer, and thyroid disease.
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