well for the first time ever the Environmental Protection Agency set new rules to keep toxic forever chemicals out of drinking water the regulations Target six chemicals that are part of the larger pasas family substances that are commonly used in a range of products because they repel water and they're fire resistant but those same properties mean the chemicals can take thousands of years to break down in the environment making them toxic to people pasas have been linked to cancers birth defects and other health effects and the contamination is widespread it can be found everywhere the new drinking water rules surpass existing state standards Water Systems around the state will have to invest in new treatment Technologies to deal with pasas the EPA also announced a new1 billion investment in water infrastructure Nationwide to help and a raft of lawsuits are trying to force chemical companies that make and use pasas to pay up just last week chemical giant 3M agreed to aend billion doll settlement that will pay for drinking water investments around the country