PFAS Water Treatment in Tampa Bay

What are PFAS?

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals. They resist heat, water and grease, which is why manufacturers used them for decades.

Hernando County's water quality report lists some of the uses: firefighting foam, textiles, metal plating, semiconductors, paper and food packaging, cleaning products, pesticides and personal care products.

The same stability that made them useful means they break down very slowly, which is where the nickname forever chemicals comes from. Once PFAS reach groundwater or a river, they stay.

Where does the federal PFAS rule stand in 2026?

The 2024 limits still stand. In April 2024 the EPA set enforceable limits of 4.0 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS, and gave utilities until 2029 to comply.

In May 2026 the EPA proposed two changes. One would let a water system request two more years, to 2031, and the other would remove the separate limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (known as GenX) and a combined Hazard Index.

Public comment on both closed in July 2026, and neither was final when we last checked. The 2024 rule is also being challenged in federal appeals court.

For your household, the practical point holds either way: the limit for the two most-studied PFAS is 4.0 parts per trillion, and several local systems have reported single results above it.

What reduces PFAS at home?

Reverse osmosis, activated carbon and ion exchange. The EPA names those three technologies and describes high-pressure membranes such as reverse osmosis as extremely effective.

For most homes, that means a reverse osmosis system under the kitchen sink. It treats the water you drink and cook with, and it also reduces nitrate, arsenic and dissolved minerals. With a qualifying whole-home installation, we include it at no charge.

Whole-house carbon and ion exchange systems can reduce PFAS too, but they need media chosen and sized for PFAS and changed on a schedule that matches your water. If you are considering one, we will tell you honestly whether it makes sense for your home.

How can you tell what a filter is certified to do?

Read its NSF/ANSI listing. Home filters for PFAS are certified under two standards: 53 for carbon and anion exchange, and 58 for reverse osmosis.

In 2022 NSF added a total PFAS claim with a combined limit of 20 parts per trillion. The EPA points out that current certifications do not yet show a filter removing PFAS down to its new 4.0 limit.

So read the product listing, not the box, and look for the specific PFOA, PFOS or total PFAS reduction claim.

What won't reduce PFAS?

Boiling, for a start. The EPA says PFAS cannot be removed by heating or boiling water.

A pitcher or refrigerator filter is only as good as its certification. Some carry a PFOA and PFOS claim under NSF/ANSI 53, and many carry nothing beyond taste and odor. If yours doesn't list PFAS, assume it doesn't reduce them.

How does ClearQuest handle PFAS questions?

We start with your utility's published results, because they already tell you a lot. Then we test what we can at your sink, explain what the numbers mean, and recommend the smallest step that meets your goal.

Often the bigger day-to-day issue turns out to be hard water or a chlorine taste. When it is, we say so, and point you to city water treatment instead of selling you a PFAS package you don't need.