Chemical manufacturers will understand the importance of adhering to environmental regulations to prevent contamination of the water supply.

Nowhere is that more pertinent than Ohio. Ohio neighbours Michigan, where water supplies in Flint have infamously been contaminated since 2014. Previously the city had its water supplied from Lake Huron and the Detroit River, but this was changed to the a less costly source of the Flint River.

Insufficient water treatment and lead pipes have been blamed for a number of problems for the residents since then.

Ohio has, perhaps unsurprisingly, announced plans to commence a survey, due to end by the end of next year, of the state’s water supply to test for potentially harmful, man-made chemicals.

They will specifically be looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a which are known to have harmful health effects. They are used in carpeting, cleaning products, paints and fabric manufacture among other things. If testing is positive a state-wide plan will be drawn up to tackle the problem.

“We must fully evaluate the prevalence of PFAS in Ohio’s drinking water to protect public health and the state’s natural resources,” Govenor DeWine said in a statement on Monday.

“This plan is the first step in learning if the chemicals have a widespread presence.”

DeWine successfully sued chemical giant DuPont last year alleging that one of its company plants has dumped a PFAS chemical called c8 into the Ohio River since the 1950s despite knowing of the health risks it caused.

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