The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released four drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). States and territories are invited to apply for $1 billion – the first of $5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funding – to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water, specifically in small or disadvantaged communities. These actions build on EPA’s forthcoming proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which EPA will release in the fall of 2022.
In the meantime, EPA also issued interim drinking water health advisories for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) that replace those EPA issued in 2016. The updated advisory levels for PFOA will be 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) and 0.02 ppt for PFAS.
These levels are significantly lower than the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and Maryland Department of Health (MDH) anticipated; the expected levels were 0.12 ppt. This will require MDE to take action on any detectable levels of PFAS, which currently includes 127 local water systems.
EPA Press Release with More Information