Amid EPA upheaval, states fear loss of strong federal limits on PFAS in drinking water
By Shannon Kelleher
With the looming possibility that the Trump administration could reduce federal limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, public health advocates are warning that people across the country would suffer.
Concerns for the future of the federal limits come amid ongoing litigation over the federal limits on six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. A 60-day stay on the litigation granted in February ends Tuesday, after which the Trump administration could seek to make changes to the standards, which were put into place a year ago under the Biden administration.
The Biden-era rule requires public water systems to complete initial monitoring for the PFAS chemicals by 2027, and to implement technologies for reducing PFAS in their water by 2029 if levels exceed the limit.
The nation’s first legally enforceable limits for PFAS in drinking water include limits of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFOA has been classified as carcinogenic and PFOS has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by an international cancer research group.
The rule has drawn widespread opposition from public utilities, which could face substantial costs for implementing new technologies, and penalties for failing to do so.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) sued the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last June contending that the EPA broke the law when it established the limits.
The groups argue that the agency violated the Safe Drinking Water Act by cutting the rulemaking process short and failed to consider critical data.