Water for Schools
Menu

Reading passage Grade 9 Science

PFAS in Brindle Falls' Wells: Rules Still Being Written

A grade 9 science reading passage on PFAS, the 2024 federal limits and a proposed deadline exemption, and how a fictional town treated a contaminated well with carbon.

Objectives

  1. Students will identify what PFAS are and how they enter a town's water supply.
  2. Students will explain why the federal PFAS rules are an example of regulation still in motion.
  3. Students will describe how a town treated a PFAS-contaminated well and confirmed the result.

Vocabulary

PFAS
A large family of human-made chemicals used in things like nonstick pans, waterproof fabric, and firefighting foam. They are called forever chemicals because they take a very long time to break down.
Parts per trillion
A unit for measuring extremely small amounts of a chemical in water. PFAS limits are set in parts per trillion because these chemicals matter even in tiny doses.
Granular activated carbon
Small black grains of specially treated carbon that grab contaminants as water flows through them. Utilities use big tanks of it to remove PFAS, bad tastes, and odors.
Groundwater
Groundwater is water that has soaked into the ground and fills the spaces between soil particles and cracks in rock underground. It is a large underground source of fresh water that wells and springs draw from.

Also: regulation

Teacher overview

This passage introduces PFAS, a group of long-lasting chemicals now regulated in drinking water, and follows a fictional town as it treats a contaminated well. It pairs well with a unit on water quality or on how public rules are made, because the PFAS rules are a clear example of a regulation still in motion, with fixed limits and a compliance timeline that is still under review. Students read the science, trace the town's response, and practice both locating stated facts and drawing inferences about why the rules keep changing.

PFAS in Brindle Falls' Wells: Rules Still Being Written — Grade 9 Science
Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Passage

PFAS are a large group of human-made chemicals that have been produced and used since the 1950s. They give products the ability to resist water, grease, and stains, so you can find them in nonstick pans, greaseproof food wrappers, stain-resistant carpet, and some firefighting foams. These chemicals are useful, yet they share one stubborn trait: the bond between their carbon and fluorine atoms is one of the strongest in all of chemistry, and it does not break down easily in nature. Because of this, the chemicals can last for a very long time, which is why many people call them "forever chemicals."

PFAS reach water in several ways. Factories that make or use them can release them into nearby rivers and soil. Firefighting foam sprayed at airports and military bases can soak into the ground. From the soil, PFAS move down into groundwater. Many towns pump that groundwater and treat it for drinking. Because the chemicals do not break down, they can stay in an aquifer for years. Once they spread through the water, they are hard and expensive to remove.

Scientists have connected long-term exposure to some PFAS with health problems. For that reason, government agencies have started to set limits. In April 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, set the first national drinking-water limits for these chemicals. For two of the most studied PFAS, called PFOA and PFOS, the limit is 4 parts per trillion each. That is an extremely small amount. It means four parts of the chemical in a trillion parts of water. The rule tells water systems to test for PFAS. If levels are too high, the systems must treat the water to bring them down.

These rules are still being written. Setting a new national limit is a slow process, and the details can change along the way. Under the 2024 rule, water systems must meet the limits by April 2029. In May 2026, the EPA proposed letting eligible systems apply for a two-year exemption, which would give them until April 2031. The exemption would not be automatic for every system, and the 4 parts per trillion limits would stay the same. As of September 2026, the proposal was not yet final. Because the requirements can still shift, water utilities are watching the rule closely. They must plan for costly treatment while the final timeline is not yet settled.

The fictional town of Brindle Falls faced this problem directly. The town draws its drinking water from two wells. Routine testing found PFAS above the new limit in one of the wells. The town responded in three clear steps. First, it shut down the affected well. It relied on its cleaner well while it planned a fix. Second, it installed a treatment system that uses granular activated carbon. This carbon acts like a sponge. It traps PFAS as water passes slowly through it. Third, the town began monthly testing to confirm that the treatment was working. After the carbon system started up, the tested water dropped below the limit. Brindle Falls then reopened the treated well.

Removing PFAS is not simple. Conventional treatment, such as the sand filters used in most plants, does not remove these chemicals, and only some home filters are certified to reduce them. Granular activated carbon does work, but the carbon fills up over time. When it is full, workers must replace it, which costs money. Reverse osmosis can also remove PFAS. It pushes water through a very tight membrane. That method works well, but it uses more energy and creates a stream of waste to manage. Every method has a cost. Small towns with few customers often struggle to pay for new treatment.

Even with these challenges, the overall trend is toward wider testing. More utilities now test their water for PFAS than ever before. As testing spreads, more communities are learning whether their own water carries these chemicals. That knowledge is the first step toward deciding what to do. For a town like Brindle Falls, careful testing and the right treatment turned a serious problem into a manageable one.

Questions

  1. According to the passage, what trait makes PFAS last so long that people call them "forever chemicals"?
  2. Name two ways PFAS can get into a town's water, as described in the passage.
  3. What limit did the EPA set in April 2024 for PFOA and PFOS, and what two actions did the rule require of water systems?
  4. List, in order, the three steps Brindle Falls took after finding PFAS above the limit in one well, and state what the final monthly testing showed.
  5. The passage says the PFAS rules "are still being written." Use details from the passage to explain what makes these rules an example of a regulation that is still changing.
  6. Based on the passage, explain why a small town might find it especially hard to deal with PFAS in its water.
  7. Explain how granular activated carbon removes PFAS from water, using the comparison the passage makes.
  8. Based on the passage, do you think more communities will test for PFAS in the coming years? Support your answer with details from the text.

From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.

Answer Key

  1. Answer: The very strong carbon-to-fluorine bond.
    The passage explains that the bond between PFAS carbon and fluorine atoms is one of the strongest in chemistry and does not break down easily, so the chemicals last a very long time.

  2. Answer: Any two of: factory releases, firefighting foam soaking into the ground, and movement into groundwater.
    The passage lists factories releasing PFAS into rivers and soil, firefighting foam soaking into the ground, and PFAS moving down into the groundwater that towns pump for drinking.

  3. Answer: A limit of 4 parts per trillion each; test for PFAS and treat the water if levels are too high.
    The passage states the 2024 limit for PFOA and PFOS is 4 parts per trillion each, and that the rule requires systems to test for PFAS and treat the water when levels are too high.

  4. Answer: (1) Shut down the affected well and use the cleaner well; (2) install granular activated carbon treatment; (3) begin monthly testing. The tested water dropped below the limit.
    The passage lists these three steps in order, and states that after the carbon system started, the tested water fell below the limit and the well reopened.

  5. Answer: The compliance timeline is still unsettled.
    The passage notes that setting a national limit is slow, and that in May 2026 the EPA proposed letting eligible systems apply for a two-year exemption, which would move their deadline from April 2029 to April 2031. Because that proposal was not yet final, the timeline for meeting the limits can still change.

  6. Answer: Treatment is expensive, and small towns have few customers to share the cost.
    The passage explains that carbon must be replaced when full and that reverse osmosis uses more energy, so every method costs money, and small towns with few customers often struggle to pay.

  7. Answer: It acts like a sponge that traps PFAS as water passes through.
    The passage compares granular activated carbon to a sponge that traps PFAS as water passes slowly through it, holding the chemicals so they do not stay in the treated water.

  8. Answer: Yes; the passage says testing is spreading and more utilities test their water than ever before.
    Accept a supported answer. The passage states the trend is toward wider testing, and that more utilities test now than ever before, which suggests more communities will test in the coming years.

Differentiation

Support

Provide a labeled timeline graphic (1950s use, 2024 limits set, 2026 exemption proposed, 2029 compliance date, Brindle Falls treats its well) for students to reference while answering. Allow questions 1 through 3 to be answered with short phrases rather than full sentences.

Extension

Ask students to write a short paragraph explaining why a utility might begin planning PFAS treatment now, even though it might later qualify for more time, using details from the passage about how slowly the rules are finalized.

ELL supports

Pre-teach "PFAS," "parts per trillion," and "granular activated carbon" with simple definitions and a picture of water passing through a carbon filter. Provide a sentence frame for question 5: "The PFAS rules are still changing because ___."