In a culmination of its deliberate “research, remediate, and regulate” strategy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule regulating PFAS chemicals in drinking water supplies on April 10, 2024.
The final PFAS regulation contains mostly minor changes to the EPA’s 2023 proposed rule. One big change includes a five-year compliance timeline for the MCLs. While this is an improvement from the three years in the proposed MCL, this timeline will still be challenging when considering demonstration testing, design, construction, and procurement of high-demand materials. To meet the challenge, some quick, effective cost and treatment tools are available for consideration. Wherever government and water utilities might fit on the PFAS awareness-action spectrum, the time to address the challenge in earnest is here.
