Hi, my name is Layla, and I’m an 8th grader. Over the past year, I’ve been learning about PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” and I was surprised to learn that they may be present in drinking water that students and kids use every day.

What are PFAS?

PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in products that resist water, stains, heat, grease, and wear. They are called “forever chemicals” because, unlike many other chemicals that eventually break down, PFAS are extremely hard to get rid of.

That is what makes them especially dangerous.

PFAS can stay in the environment for a very long time. They can move through water, soil, food, and everyday products. They can also build up in our bodies over time. If kids are exposed to PFAS again and again when they are young, those exposures can add up by the time they become adults.

Scientists and researchers have linked PFAS exposure to serious health concerns, including:

• Hormone disruption
• Immune system effects
• Developmental concerns
• Higher cholesterol
• Reproductive health concerns
• Liver effects
• Increased risk of certain cancers
• Possible effects on growth, puberty, and long-term health

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, children may be especially vulnerable to harmful chemicals like PFAS because their bodies are still developing. Kids also drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air for their body size than adults do, which can increase their exposure.

Schools and childcare facilities are supposed to be safe places for children. But PFAS has already been found in some drinking water systems serving schools. This means some students may be exposed to forever chemicals during the school day without even knowing it. This means some students may be exposed to forever chemicals during the school day without even knowing it. As students and kids, we are still growing. Our bodies, brains, hormones, and immune systems are still developing.

We should not have to worry that the water we drink at school, at parks, or in our communities could contain chemicals that may stay in our bodies for years.

Why 2031 Is Too Late
In 2024, the EPA created the first national drinking water limits for several PFAS chemicals.

Under that rule, public water systems are required to complete initial PFAS monitoring and begin sharing results with the public by 2027. If PFAS levels are above federal limits, water systems are required to take action to reduce those chemicals by 2029.

But now, some water systems may be allowed to ask for more time — possibly until 2031 — before they have to fully meet the enforceable limits for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most well-known PFAS chemicals.

But for kids, two more years  means:

• Hundreds of school days
• Thousands of sips from water fountains
• More exposure during childhood
• More time for chemicals to build up in the body
• More families waiting for clear answers
• PFAS are not like many other chemicals. They do not break down easily, and some can build up in the body over time.

If students and kids are exposed again and again when they are young, that exposure can add up by the time they become adults.

That is why we need lawmakers, government officials, school leaders, and public agencies to act sooner.

We should not wait until 2027 just to find out what is in the water.

We should not wait until 2029 to begin fixing the problem.

And we definitely should not let students and kids wait until 2031 for safer drinking water.

Students do not choose the water in our school fountains. Kids do not choose the pipes, the filtration systems, or the chemicals that end up in our environment.

But we are the ones drinking the water every day.

Schools, childcare facilities, parks, and communities should begin testing now, sharing results clearly with families, and installing proven PFAS treatment systems where PFAS are found.

Kids are drinking the water now, so protections should start now.

Clean water should not depend on your zip code, your school’s budget, or whether lawmakers decide to wait.

We are asking lawmakers and government officials to:

• Require immediate PFAS testing of drinking water in schools and places where kids spend time
• Publicly post PFAS test results in a way families can understand
• Install reverse osmosis or proven PFAS filtration systems where PFAS are found
• Prevent delays until 2031 when students and kids are drinking the water now
• Provide funding support, especially for schools and communities that cannot afford water upgrades
• Strengthen federal, state, and local PFAS protections, not weaken them
• Protect kids first when making decisions about drinking water safety
• Provide safe alternate drinking water while long-term filtration or treatment is being installed

Students deserve to learn, grow, and focus on school without wondering if the water fountain is safe.

Kids deserve to play, live, and grow up without unnecessary exposure to forever chemicals in their drinking water.

This petition will also be used to help draft letters to lawmakers, government officials, school leaders, and public agencies asking them to take action on PFAS testing, transparency, filtration, and stronger protections for students and kids.

For more information on PFAS and what you can do to protect yourself, please go to my website PFASFREEPROJECT.com.