American Water and The Water Research Foundation Announce PFAS Risk Communication Toolkits

As public awareness of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continues to expand, water professionals are seeking ways to communicate with their customers clearly, concisely, and consistently about what PFAS are, where they come from, and whether they are detected in drinking water. Through the project PFAS One Water Risk Communication Messaging for Water Sector Professionals, American Water and The Water Research Foundation (WRF) have released two PFAS communication toolkits for use by water systems as they interact with customers, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Workshops, stakeholder engagement, and message testing were used to develop the toolkits. The first toolkit, focused on the concept of One Water, presents information describing where PFAS come from and how they enter the environment and impact drinking water and wastewater systems. The toolkit materials can be used to educate the public about the many products that contain PFAS and how they contribute to the routes of exposure to these compounds. Content was developed for utility use on websites, bill inserts, social media, brochures, and other communications platforms.

This project was funded by WRF and the American Water Works Association, and the research team was comprised of communications and technical experts from American Water, Hazen and Sawyer, and CDM Smith.

To learn more about the project, visit the WRF project webpage. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Mary Smith, WRF Research Program Manager, at msmith@waterrf.org; or Lauren Weinrich, American Water Principal Scientist, Research & Development, at Lauren.Weinrich@amwater.com.