In response to a Congressional request, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a PFAS drinking water reRort based on data collected largely from six states: Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Vermont. These states were chosen because they have drinking water PFAS standards or guidance already in place, and, correspondingly, have collected easily accessible drinking water data. Notably, the GAO found that "the demographic characteristics of communities [across these states] with PFAS in their drinking water varied" and did not consistently align with disadvantaged communities. As a result, the GAO ultimately recommended that EPA conduct a nationwide analysis to determine the demographic characteristics of communities with PFAS in their drinking water.
