To provide water systems more time to comply with Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced it will develop a new rulemaking schedule to provide additional time for developing plans to reach compliance, including a proposal to extend the compliance date to 2031. The proposed PFAS rule is expected to be announced in fall 2025 and finalized in spring 2026.
In conjunction with the mid-May PFAS announcement, USEPA said it will keep the current National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which set nationwide limits for specific “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
2024 Rule VS. Updated Rule
In April 2024, USEPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, including standards for PFOA and PFOS. At that time, USEPA 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). Here is how the limits established in the April 2024 rule compare the USEPA announcement in May 2025:
- PFOA and PFOS: Enforceable MCL at 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) & Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) is 0.0. USEPA will continue the PFOA and PFOS MCL and MCLG.
- PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (GenX Chemicals): MCLG and MCL at 10 ppt and Health Based Water Concentrations (HBWC) of 10 ppt. USEPA will rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations.
- PFBS: HBWC at 2,000 ppt. USEPA will rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations.
- Mixtures of any two or more of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX chemicals: Hazard Index (HI) of 1. USEPA will rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations.
PFAS Compliance Assistance
USEPA will launch PFAS OUT to connect with public water utilities known to need capital improvements to address PFAS in their systems, including those identified as having PFOA and PFOS levels above the MCL. PFAS OUT will engage utilities, technical assistance providers and local, State, Tribal, and Territorial leaders to develop effective, practical solutions.
USEPA will also continue to offer free water technical assistance (WaterTA) to water systems to improve drinking water and help communities access available funding. WaterTA initiatives provide assistance to water systems nationwide to identify affordable solutions to assess and address PFAS. Services offered to utilities include water quality testing, development of technical plans, operator training support, designing public engagement and outreach strategies, and support for accessing Federal funding opportunities.
Federal funding opportunities for PFAS efforts include the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, the Emerging Contaminants (EC) Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program, and funding resources, like USEPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, that can be leveraged to provide supplemental, flexible, low-cost credit assistance to public and private borrowers.
For information about the PFAS Rule, visit Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation and PFAS NPDWR Implementation. For more information about PFAS Technical Assistance, visit EPA Water Technical Assistance. Water systems can also request EPA WaterTA services.