States Step In On PFAS Drinking Water Regulations
May 5, 2025
Since the beginning of the Trump Administration in January 2025, federal environmental regulations have faced widespread rollbacks, which the EPA itself has called “the biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history.” However, the EPA’s program monitoring public drinking water systems for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) remains intact. Data from this program revealed that over 37 million Americans are drinking water with PFAS levels above federal limits, raising concern among environmental groups. These concerns are heightened by fears that the Trump Administration may soon weaken or eliminate existing PFAS safeguards, prompting states to act independently to protect their water supplies.
In April 2024, the EPA finalized the first national PFAS drinking water rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This regulation limits six specific PFAS chemicals and mandates water utilities nationwide to begin testing and treating contaminated supplies, aiming to protect up to 100 million people. The agency has allocated $1 billion to support state compliance and set a final compliance deadline of January 2029. Despite its importance, the rule has faced legal challenges, and the D.C. Circuit granted a 60-day pause to allow the Trump Administration time to review it. With ongoing legal uncertainty and widespread federal deregulation, the future of this national standard remains in question.
In response to these uncertainties, several states have proposed or introduced their own PFAS regulations to safeguard drinking water. California’s Assembly Bill 794 empowers its Water Board to uphold or exceed federal PFAS standards through emergency regulations. Similar legislation has been introduced in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, each setting stricter contaminant limits or broader PFAS bans. These state-level actions reflect growing concern over the weakening of federal standards and signal that more states may soon enact their own rules to ensure continued protection of public health.
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