Overview
- BUND/BN reported PFAS traces in 42 of 46 samples taken nationwide between June and October, spanning surface water, groundwater and drinking water.
- Several locations already exceed the upcoming legal thresholds, with high readings in Zeuthen, Ludwigslust and Güstrow, and Neuötting reporting groundwater over the 2026 limit.
- Germany’s first binding PFAS limits set in 2023 will become enforceable in the Drinking Water Ordinance on 12 January 2026.
- Holzkirchen’s sample detected the PFAS breakdown product TFA at levels far below the new limits, and the local utility says recent PFAS tests at its wells were below detection.
- Water suppliers warn treatment is technically feasible but costly—often hundreds of thousands of euros per well—while environmental groups demand stronger upstream restrictions and product substitution.