The Daily Drip

The Lead

United StatesPFAS, the forever chemicals1The right to safety

“Not detected” gets counted as zero.

What’s going on

A study published Friday in Cell Reports Sustainability suggests U.S. drinking water may hold about twice the PFAS that EPA data shows, The Washington Post reports. Texas Christian University hydrologist Gehendra Kharel and colleagues reworked EPA’s existing results: 1.86 million tests for 25 PFAS across 9,991 community water systems. About 98% came back below the reporting limit and are averaged in as zero. That method captured only 44% of the estimated average concentration. The study estimates levels; it doesn’t measure what reaches homes. EPA didn’t immediately comment.

Our take

“Not detected” isn’t the same as “not there.” It can mean “below what the lab reports.” When nearly every result is averaged in as zero, the number on paper can run low. That’s why your utility’s actual results matter, not just a pass or fail. Ask which PFAS it tests for, what it found and what its reporting limit is. Get it in writing.

Read the original reporting: The Spokesman-Review (The Washington Post)

What you can do

1. Ask for your PFAS results and reporting limitsGet the words

   To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

   Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. Which PFAS does our water system test for, how often, and what were the latest results for each? For any result reported as “not detected,” what was the lab’s reporting limit? Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words
2. See your system’s PFAS results (EPA UCMR 5)Opens the tool
3. Check what’s in your waterEnter your ZIP

The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on PFAS, the forever chemicals. We’ll bring the data.

Today’s Action · two minutes

Ask for your PFAS results and reporting limits

Two minutes, one email. A “not detected” only means something when you know the limit behind it, so ask your utility for its results and reporting limits in writing.

To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. Which PFAS does our water system test for, how often, and what were the latest results for each? For any result reported as “not detected,” what was the lab’s reporting limit? Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words

1. Stonecrest, GAFailing infrastructure5The right to basic needs

   Fixed, then off again.

   Days after a two-day outage, a Stonecrest neighborhood in DeKalb County lost water again Saturday night. Crews repaired an 8-inch main Sunday afternoon.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   Residents of a Stonecrest neighborhood in DeKalb County, Georgia, who’d already gone two days without water while crews fixed a broken main, reported their water off again from Saturday night, WSB-TV reports. DeKalb County Watershed crews repaired an 8-inch main at Ottawa Trail and Rock Springs Road; officials said the work was done about 3:19 p.m. Sunday. Customers were told to run their faucets to clear their plumbing, and bottled water was offered at Ottawa Trail and Winslow Crossing. WSB-TV reported no boil water advisory was put in effect.

   Our take

   Two outages in one week on the same street is a pattern, not a fluke. Neighbors deserve the plan: how old that pipe is, how many times it’s failed and when it gets replaced. Stonecrest residents can ask DeKalb Watershed Management in writing. Anywhere else, ask your utility the same thing before the next break.

   Read the original reporting: WSB-TV

   What you can do

   1. Ask for the repair planGet the words

      To: your city or utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I live at [your address]. How many water main breaks has our neighborhood had in the last 12 months, how old are the mains on our street, and when are they scheduled for replacement? Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words
   2. Look up your system’s violationsOpens the tool
   3. Share this storyShare

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Failing infrastructure. We’ll bring the data.
2. Fowler, CAWater bills and shutoffs6The right to redress

   A $40 bill became $3,700.

   Fowler, California, residents packed a council workshop over water bills that jumped after a meter mix-up. The council takes it up again Nov. 17.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   Fowler, California, residents filled a council workshop on Oct. 23 over water bills, the Mid Valley Times reports. Staff said a mix of old and new meters has caused inconsistent billing; more than 900 of about 2,500 connections still have older meters that need hand-checking. One resident who usually pays about $40 got an October bill of more than $3,700 if paid after Oct. 15. Staff laid out a six-step fix, including meter audits and repairs, and City Manager Michael Reid said the city hasn’t cut service for nonpayment of high bills. It returns to the council Nov. 17.

   Our take

   A bill is a measurement. When the meter’s wrong, the bill’s wrong, and the household carries the difference until someone fixes it. If your bill jumps and your use didn’t, ask your utility for the meter read, the meter’s age and a written correction. Fowler neighbors: the next chance to be heard is Nov. 17.

   Read the original reporting: Mid Valley Times

   What you can do

   1. Ask for a meter check and a written correctionGet the words

      To: your water utility. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I’m a customer at [your address]. My bill for [month] was [amount], far above my usual [amount]. Please send me the meter reads behind it, whether my meter was read by hand or by radio, the meter’s age, and a written correction if the read was wrong. Can I set up a payment plan while it’s reviewed? Thank you.Copy the words
   2. Find your local officialsOpens the tool
   3. Share this storyShare

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Water bills and shutoffs. We’ll bring the data.
3. Port Angeles, WAYour first public hearingWater bills and shutoffs4The right to be heard

   About $10 a month more.

   Port Angeles, Washington, approved water, wastewater and stormwater rate increases, 6-1. Most households will pay about $10.14 more a month.

   Our take, and what you can do

   What’s going on

   The Port Angeles, Washington, City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to raise water, wastewater and stormwater rates, Peninsula Daily News reports. For 87% of residential customers, the combined bill rises about $10.14 a month, or $121.67 a year, roughly 3%. The residential stormwater rate rises 11.9%, wastewater base rates 7% and water base rates 1.5%; customers on the 25% and 35% discounts see smaller increases. Mayor Kate Dexter said, “we have to be able to afford to maintain the utilities.” John Hamilton cast the no vote.

   Our take

   Pipes cost money, and somebody pays. The question is whether the people paying get to see the math. Before your city votes on rates, ask for the cost-of-service study, what the increase pays for and what help exists for households that can’t absorb it. Then show up and say it out loud.

   Read the original reporting: Peninsula Daily News

   What you can do

   1. Ask for the math behind a rate increaseGet the words

      To: your city council. Fill in the brackets, then send it by email or read it at a meeting.

      Hi, I live at [your address]. Before the council votes on water, sewer or stormwater rates, please share the cost-of-service study, what the increase will pay for, and what discounts or bill help exist for households that can’t absorb it. Please answer in writing. Thank you.Copy the words
   2. Find your local officialsOpens the tool
   3. Share this storyShare

   The Guardian DeclarationBecome a Guardian. It’s free. Sign the Declaration and get The Right to Know.AquaCivics™ tableHost a table on Your first public hearing. We’ll bring the data.

Today’s water, by right

Every story is filed under one of the eight consumer rights. Today’s edition touched 4 of the eight; each glass fills with its stories. This count feeds the AquaRights Index™.

1. 1
   The right to safety
2. 0
   The right to be informed
3. 0
   The right to choose
4. 1
   The right to be heard
5. 1
   The right to basic needs
6. 1
   The right to redress
7. 0
   The right to education
8. 0
   The right to a healthy environment

Guardian Season · Mar 15 – Jun 5, 2027

Spring 2027 Guardian Season opens on World Consumer Rights Day.

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Sign the Guardian Declaration and get The Right to Know, the eight rights behind every glass of water, plus The Daily Drip every weekday morning.

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