Federal Regulation Updates
Regulatory Standards
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set new national drinking water standards for six PFAS chemicals: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, GenX, PFNA, and PFBS. These standards are called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The federal MCLs, which include more PFAS and are more stringent for PFOA and PFOS than New Jersey state requirements, reflect the latest science. EPA also finalized health-based, non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for these PFAS. The final rule requires:
| PFAS | MCLG (ppt) | MCL (ppt) |
| PFOA | 0 | 4 |
| PFOS | 0 | 4 |
| PFNA | 10 | 10 |
| PFHxS | 10 | 10 |
| GenX | 10 | 10 |
| Mixtures containing two or more of PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and PFBS | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index |
When creating these rules, the EPA used the latest scientific research and built on earlier actions taken by states like New Jersey, which had already started regulating PFAS in drinking water. The new EPA rules create a nationwide standard to better protect public health. EPA expects that over many years the final rule will prevent PFAS exposure in drinking water for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses. The EPA is also making funding available to help ensure that all people have access to clean and safe water, including $1 billion in newly available funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and support private well owners in addressing PFAS contamination.
Public water systems are given time to fix PFAS problems if levels are too high, as shown in the table below. This document and the table below reflect the rules as they were adopted at the time this document was released.
EPA Regulatory Implementation on Schedule
By 2027
• Complete initial monitoring, followed by ongoing compliance monitoring.
• Begin to provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water.
By 2029
• Implement solutions that reduce regulated PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs.
• Beginning this year, systems that have PFAS in drinking water that violates one or more of these MCLs must take action to reduce levels of these PFAS in their drinking water and must provide notification to the public of the violation.
EPA to Review and Delay PFAS Water Rules
On May 14, 2025, the EPA announced that it will keep the drinking water limits for PFOA and PFOS, but will delay when they must be fully enforced. The EPA also said it plans to withdraw and review the rules for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and a combined PFAS risk measure that includes PFBS. EPA plans to issue a proposed rule this fall and finalize this rule in the Spring of 2026. Public health groups point out that federal law has “anti-backsliding” provisions to prevent existing drinking water limits from being weakened.
“The work to protect Americans from PFAS in drinking water started under the first Trump Administration and will continue under my leadership,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “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 compliance. This will support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants. EPA will also continue to use its regulatory and enforcement tools to hold polluters accountable.” For more information, see EPA’s Press Release.
Some Comments:
“This is a clear victory for the trillion-dollar chemical industry, not public health.” — Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear
“The EPA’s request to jettison rules intended to keep drinking water safe from toxic PFAS forever chemicals is an attempted end-run around the protections that Congress placed in the Safe Drinking Water Act. It is also alarming, given what we know about the health harms caused by exposure to these chemicals. No one wants to drink PFAS.” —Jared Thompson, senior attorney with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).
“The federal government knows toxic ‘forever chemicals’ are dangerous to our health and it’s well established that drinking water is a major route of exposure to PFAS for many people. The PFAS crisis is immense, and we need more action, not less, to protect people from this extraordinary environmental and public health threat.” —Dr. Anna Reade, Director of PFAS advocacy at NRDC