On Jan. 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final regulatory determination to set a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS, two types of PFAS or “forever chemicals,” under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This kicks off the federal rulemaking process to set enforceable drinking water standards for these two contaminants.
EPA previously announced its intention to regulate these chemicals in its fall 2020 Unified Agenda, a biannual document that outlines anticipated regulatory activity for the coming year. Currently, EPA maintains an unenforceable Public Health Advisory that identifies 70 parts per trillion as a threshold level for both PFOS and PFOA in drinking water systems.
ACWA will continue to track this developing issue under the Biden Administration.
