Willingness to Pay for Removing PFAS from Drinking Water in the U.S

Tanjum Afrin Taj, Levan Elbakidze and Julian Hwang

No 404489, 2026 Annual Meeting, July 26 - 28, 2026, Kansas City, Missouri from Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are harmful and persistent synthetic chemicals widely detected in U.S. surface water, groundwater, and public drinking water systems. Although the EPA introduced national drinking water standards for selected PFAS compounds, the economic benefits of mitigating PFAS in drinking water remain unquantified. We estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for removing PFAS from all publicly supplied drinking water in the U.S. using an online dichotomous choice contingent valuation survey. The results show that aggregate annual benefits of a national PFAS drinking water remediation program range from $104.1 billion to $111.7 billion. WTP is higher when PFAS are detected in the respondent’s local drinking water supply, while provision of information about exposure to PFAS via other pathways besides drinking water, including consumer goods, has no significant impact.

Keywords: Environmental; Economics; and; Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 60
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aaea26:404489

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.404489

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