Jersey Water has warned that new measures to limit "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in the island's drinking water could cost more than £210m and take years to implement, potentially raising customer bills by 70% to 110%. The warning follows a final report from the independent PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel, which found that Jersey Water had followed UK standards but recommended stricter local limits. While the utility insists the water remains safe to drink, officials and campaigners now face pressure to agree a framework for managing the chemicals, which have been linked to serious health conditions including kidney and testicular cancer.

The panel recommended cutting the PFAS limit to four nanograms per litre, well below the 10 nanograms per litre UK guidance currently used, arguing Jersey needs its own specific definition. Jersey Water's chief executive, Helier Smith, said a new treatment plant could be needed at a cost of up to £210m, which he said nobody wants, while the panel's environmental expert, Ian Cousins, called that figure an "exaggeration", noting cheaper retrofitting options and that other places have implemented similar measures within three to five years. The contamination traces back to PFAS-containing firefighting foam used at Jersey's airport in the 1990s, which leaked into groundwater; campaigners want faster action, including filters in schools and nurseries, and are concerned taxpayers could bear costs they are not responsible for. Ministers say they are studying the report and will respond in more detail later this year.