(NEXSTAR) – As President Trump's EPA prepares to roll back some of the safeguards against so-called "forever chemicals," some Americans may be wondering what they can do to protect their drinking water.

On Wednesday, the EPA said it will weaken some of the limits that were put in place under former President Biden last year to minimize PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight.

Limits on three types of PFAS, including what are known as GenX substances found in North Carolina, will be scrapped and reconsidered by the agency, as will a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS.

The Biden administration’s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they can be reliably detected. The EPA will keep those standards, but give utilities two extra years — until 2031 — to comply.

"We are on a path to uphold the agency’s nationwide standards to protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their water. At the same time, we will work to provide common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for........

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