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The US EPA proposes to extend the deadline for PFOA and PFOS drinking water compliance by two years

Author.

LCS

Source:

Post time:

2026-06-30

 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new federal exemption proposal on May 20, 2026, intending to extend the compliance deadline for maximum pollutant limits (MCLs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in public water supply systems for another two years. If the proposal is ultimately passed, the original deadline of meeting the standards by April 26, 2029 will be postponed to April 26, 2031.


 

This adjustment is based on Article 1416 (f) and Article 1450 (a) (1) of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA emphasizes that the proposal will not change the current standards themselves, and the maximum pollutant limit for both substances in drinking water will still be maintained at 4.0 ppt. The only adjustment is the implementation time.


 

 Why extend?

PFOA and PFOS are often referred to as "permanent chemicals" because they are not easily degraded in the environment and can remain in the human body for a long time after entering. The EPA set extremely low drinking water limits for these two substances for the first time in 2024 and requires water supply systems in various regions to meet the standards by 2029.


 

However, in the actual implementation process, many water management units have found that it is not easy to complete testing, evaluation, design, procurement, and installation of purification facilities, especially for small-scale water supply systems with limited budgets and insufficient technical strength. In order to provide these regions with more adequate preparation time, the EPA has proposed to extend the deadline by two years.


 

  What are the criteria and impacts of this proposal?

The limit data remains unchanged: the standard of 4.0 ppt remains unchanged, with only the time node shifted backwards;

Scope of Impact: Approximately 66000 public water supply systems in the United States will be affected by this provision, and systems that meet the conditions and submit applications will be exempted;

Cost savings: For small water supply systems serving less than 10000 people, this proposal can save approximately $15.7 million to $32.2 million annually.


 

 Follow-up arrangements

At present, this rule is still in the stage of soliciting opinions. The public can submit their opinions through www.regulations.gov before July 20, 2026, with case number EPA-HQ-OW-2022-1742.


 

The EPA will also hold an online hearing on July 7, 2026, and individuals who wish to speak must register before July 1, 2026.


 

The EPA stated that it will decide later this year whether to formally adopt the proposal based on public feedback.

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