On May 14, 2025, the EPA announced it will keep the current National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which set nationwide limits for these “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
“The Agency is committed to addressing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water while following the law and ensuring that regulatory compliance is achievable for drinking water systems,” according to an EPA news release.
“The work to protect Americans from PFAS in drinking water started under the first Trump Administration and will continue under my leadership,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says. “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.”
The Agency also announced it intends to extend compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS, establish a federal exemption framework, and initiate enhanced outreach to water systems, especially in rural and small communities, through its new PFAS OUTreach Initiative (PFAS OUT).
“This action would help address the most significant compliance challenges EPA has heard from public water systems, members of Congress, and other stakeholders, while supporting actions to protect the American people from certain PFAS in drinking water,” the Agency’s release states. “Paired with effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for PFAS and other tools to ensure that polluters are held responsible, EPA’s actions are designed to reduce the burden on drinking water systems and the cost of water bills, all while continuing to protect public health and ensure that the agency is following the law in establishing impactful regulations such as these.”
Reconsideration of PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA determinations
The EPA also announced its intent to rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations for perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (commonly known as GenX), and the Hazard Index mixture of these three plus perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) to ensure the determinations and any resulting drinking water regulation follow the legal process laid out in the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Regulatory deadline extension
The final NPDWR, which included standards for PFOA and PFOS, was announced on April 10, 2024. At that time, the EPA established legally enforceable levels for these PFAS in drinking water and gave public water systems until 2029 to comply with the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
In announcing it will retain the current NPDWR, the EPA says it plans to develop a rulemaking to provide additional time for compliance, including a proposal to extend the compliance date to 2031.
“EPA plans to issue a proposed rule this fall and finalize this rule in the Spring of 2026,” states the Agency’s release. “Aligned with the agency’s intent to provide additional compliance time for water systems, EPA encourages states seeking primacy for implementing the PFAS drinking water regulation to request additional time from EPA to develop their applications. At the same time, EPA will support the U.S. Department of Justice in defending ongoing legal challenges to the PFAS [NPDWR] with respect to PFOA and PFOS.”
“ASDWA supports EPA’s proposed approach to the PFAS regulation to extend the compliance date for systems by an additional two years. With the current compliance date of 2029, states and water systems are struggling with the timeframes to complete the pilot testing, development of construction plans, and building the necessary treatment improvements. EPA’s proposed extension of the compliance date and increased technical assistance will address the number of systems that would be out of compliance in 2029 due to not being able complete all of these tasks on time,” Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, says in the EPA’s release.
PFAS OUT
To enhance engagement in addressing PFAS, the EPA will launch PFAS OUT to connect with every public water utility known to need capital improvements to address PFAS in its systems, including those the Agency has identified as having PFOA and PFOS levels above the EPA’s MCL.
The EPA news release says it “will share resources, tools, funding, and technical assistance to help utilities meet the federal drinking water standards. … EPA will continue to offer free water technical assistance (WaterTA).”
This program provides services to water systems to improve their drinking water and help communities access available funding. WaterTA initiatives work with water systems nationwide to identify affordable solutions to assess and address PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Services offered to utilities include:
- Water quality testing
- Development of technical plans
- Operator training support
- Designing public engagement and outreach strategies
- Support for accessing federal funding opportunities
Commitment to reducing PFAS in the environment
The EPA intends to take several actions to reduce the prevalence of PFAS in the environment, including in sources of drinking water. Federal funding available to support these efforts include:
- The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program
- The EC Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program
- The EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, which can be leveraged to provide supplemental, flexible, low-cost credit assistance to public and private borrowers