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EPA Moves to Roll Back Key PFAS Water Regulations, Extends Compliance Timeline

The agency plans to rescind limits on four PFAS chemicals while maintaining stricter standards for PFOA and PFOS, citing cost and feasibility concerns for water systems.

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Equipment sits inside the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant, which processes water for much of New Hanover County in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

Overview

  • The EPA announced plans to rescind federal drinking water limits for four PFAS chemicals, including GenX, and extend the compliance deadline for PFOA and PFOS to 2031.
  • The rollback reverses portions of a 2024 Biden-era rule that established the first nationwide PFAS drinking water standards, aimed at reducing exposure to chemicals linked to cancers and other health risks.
  • Environmental groups criticized the decision as harmful and potentially illegal under the Safe Drinking Water Act, while water utilities and rural associations supported the extended timeline for compliance.
  • The EPA will propose a revised rule this fall, with plans to finalize it by spring 2026, and launch the PFAS OUT campaign to assist water systems with necessary upgrades.
  • PFAS, known as 'forever chemicals,' are widely used in consumer products and persist in the environment, contaminating the drinking water of millions of Americans.