EPA Proposes PFAS Drinking Water Regulation

On March 14, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or so-called forever chemicals, known as PFAS, including PFOA, PFOS and four others. The NPDWR would establish legally enforceable levels for the included PFAS in drinking water. EPA's proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS is 4.0 parts per trillion. A common analogy used to help understand parts per trillion is to visualize an Olympic swimming pool. Four parts per trillion is equivalent to four drops of water in that pool. At this point, the proposed rule would be primarily applicable to public water systems and would require monitoring, public notification, and active reduction of PFAS if in exceedance of the proposed standard.