On April 10, the U.S. EPA finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation that establishes legally enforceable levels, or Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in drinking water.
The rule sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA. For PFOA and PFOS, the MCLs are 4.0 parts per trillion. For PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (GenX Chemicals), the MCLs are set at 10 parts per trillion. It also sets a Hazard Index level for two or more of four PFAS as a mixture: PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and PFBS.
The final rule requires:
- By 2027, public water systems must be able to monitor these PFAS on an ongoing basis and provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water.
- If monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs, public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS.
- By 2029, public water systems with non-complying PFAS MCLs in drinking water must reduce the levels of these PFAS and notify the public of the violation.
The new rule relies heavily on cooperation and implementation by the public water sector and state regulators. The EPA considered 120,000 public comments on the proposed rule from a wide variety of stakeholders. It is expected the new rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people and reduce illnesses that have been linked to PFAS exposure.
While it may all sound like acronym alphabet soup, as CRE due diligence experts, it’s our job to understand it all. For more information on PFAS from the EPA, go here.
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Media Contact: Gary Kulik | g.kulik@cretelligent.com
