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PFAS Contamination Hits 24 Bases, 175 k Service Members

5/3/2026

29 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A 2022 Department of Defense study found unsafe per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water at 24 installations, affecting over 175,000 service members.
The Army’s M149 “Water Buffalo” trailer still provides field water that veterans describe as hot, chlorine-laden, and unusually thick.
The contamination issue spurred the Camp Lejeune water scandal, which led to federal legislation on military water safety.

History

Historical Context

The Safe Drinking Water Act, enacted on December 16 1974, gave the EPA authority to set national drinking-water standards for more than 148,000 public systems. Decades later, the Department of Defense’s PFAS study at 24 bases echoes that mandate, while the 2012 Janey Ensminger Act, spurred by the Camp Lejeune scandal, reinforced federal oversight of military water safety.

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Story summary

A 2022 Department of Defense study found unsafe per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water at 24 installations, affecting over 175,000 service members.
The Army’s M149 “Water Buffalo” trailer still provides field water that veterans describe as hot, chlorine-laden, and unusually thick.
The contamination issue spurred the Camp Lejeune water scandal, which led to federal legislation on military water safety.

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