UK water utilities must get ahead of the curve to avoid a significant backlash over PFAS management, says Simon Gatcliffe, CEO of Arvia Technology.
Public awareness of chemical pollution has surged in recent years, and few substances have captured attention quite like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Commonly known as ‘forever chemicals,’ these synthetic compounds have been widely used in industrial and consumer products for their resistance to water, alongside heat and oil. But their durability comes at a cost. As PFAS do not degrade naturally, their accumulation in the environment and human bodies is now recognised as a serious public health concern.
Indeed, PFAS are now found throughout the water cycle, as well as in soil, in wildlife, and even in human bloodstreams. A 2024 study found that PFAS absorption levels in the population were as high as 60%, further underscoring the scale of the issue.1 Given their links to fertility issues, developmental delays and even certain cancers2, the need for effective PFAS management is urgent.
Despite this, the UK’s legislative response remains in its early stages. While other nations have moved to impose strict limits or outright bans, the UK has so far relied on guidance rather than enforceable regulation. As international standards evolve and legal scrutiny increases, the UK faces a decision on how proactively it will address PFAS-related challenges.
Patchwork standards
The current UK approach to PFAS regulation is based on non-binding guidance issued by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). This guidance recommends a cumulative limit of 100 nanograms per litre (ng/L) for the sum of 48 named PFAS compounds in drinking water.3 However, this remains advisory rather than statutory, leaving water companies without a clear legal mandate to act.
By contrast, the European Union has taken a firmer stance. Since 2021, the EU’s Drinking Water Directive has imposed legally binding limits of 100 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, and 500 ng/L for total PFAS concentrations.4
The United States has gone even further, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introducing a maximum contaminant level of just 4 ng/L for two of the most studied and widespread PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS, in 2024. This effectively represents a zero-tolerance policy, as 4 ng/L is the lowest level at which these substances can be reliably detected.5
The UK may soon follow suit. A Private Members’ Bill currently progressing through Parliament – the Poly and Perfluorniated Alkyl Substances (Guidance) Bill – proposes the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water issue guidance to companies on PFAS in drinking water and for connected purposes.6
While the bill is unlikely to pass in its current form, it reflects growing political and public pressure to address PFAS more decisively. Additionally, the Royal Society of Chemistry has previously called for the UK to adopt a limit of 10 ng/L for each individual forever chemical, further demonstrating a legislative direction of travel around PFAS.7
Legal and financial risks
As the regulatory picture continues to evolve, the financial risks associated with PFAS contamination are constantly growing. In the United States, more than 10,000 PFAS-related lawsuits have been filed over the past 25 years while settlement fees have already exceeded $16.7 billion, with major manufacturers and water utilities facing significant liabilities.8
Recent cases have only added to the urgency. In 2025, PFAS manufacturer 3M agreed to a settlement worth up to $450 million in New Jersey alone, a sum representing the largest clean-water settlement in the state’s history.9 Meanwhile, landmark cases continue to emerge across Europe, with regulators and communities taking an increasingly hard line against PFAS contamination.
For UK water companies, manufacturers, and environmental managers, the message is clear. Waiting for legislation to catch up could mean facing significant legal and financial exposure. While the cost of inaction is rising, the window for proactive compliance is narrowing.
Traditional remediation falls short
Historically, PFAS management has relied on containment strategies such as landfill disposal or incineration. These methods may remove PFAS from immediate circulation, but they do not eliminate the chemicals themselves. In fact, PFAS may eventually leach back into the water cycle from where they have been transported, re-entering the environment and posing renewed risks to water quality and public health.
This approach is increasingly incompatible with the direction of global regulation. As contaminant limits fall to single-digit nanogram levels, the margin for error becomes vanishingly small, and partial solutions are no longer sufficient. To ensure long-term compliance and environmental safety, PFAS must be destroyed, not just displaced.
A new path forward
Recent advances in water treatment technology are beginning to offer a more definitive solution. For example, Florenox is a range of electrochemical oxidation reactors designed to break down PFAS at the molecular level from concentrates such as leachates, and water containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Rather than capturing or relocating the chemicals, this approach targets the very structure that makes PFAS so persistent – the carbon-fluorine bond – and breaks it apart.
At the core of this system is Nyex.3, a specially engineered, patent-pending electrode material that facilitates the formation of hydroxyl radicals capable of degrading PFAS compounds. The system is particularly effective at treating PFAS-laden concentrates, such as those produced by foam fractionation or found in leachates and firefighting foam residues.
Unlike traditional remediation methods, this approach offers the potential to destroy PFAS.
Preparing for what comes next
The UK’s current PFAS standards may be relatively lenient, but the eventual destination is unmistakable. With the EU and US already enforcing strict limits and with mounting pressure from scientists, regulators, and the public, the UK is likely to follow suit. The question for industry stakeholders is whether they will be ready when that happens.
By investing in suitable technologies now, utility companies can futureproof their operations and avoid the reputational and financial risks associated with PFAS contamination. Addressing this issue involves not only regulatory compliance but also a broader responsibility given the well-established science, tangible risks, and existing solutions available to respond effectively.
arviatechnology.com
References
1 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/30/pfas-absorbed-skin-study
2 https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas
3 https://www.dwi.gov.uk/pfas-and-forever-chemicals/
4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2020/2184/oj
5 https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-first-ever-national-drinking-water-standard
6 https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3883
7 https://www.rsc.org/news/2023/october/rsc-challenges-uk-government-to-reduce-pfas-levels-in-british-water-as-research-highlights-serious-health-risks-posed-by-%E2%80%98forever-chemicals%E2%80%99
8 https://chemsec.org/just-the-start-the-growing-legal-battle-over-pfas-in-europe/
9 https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news/PFAS-Health-Risks/3m-settle-pfas-lawsuit-450-million-24159.html
