EPA
On May 14, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision to uphold the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water set in April 2024 for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most extensively studied and regulated.
During the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session, Delegate David Bulova collaborated with Fairfax Water to introduce HB2050, a bill aimed at addressing PFAS contamination in the Occoquan Reservoir, the primary water source for customers in our East System. The legislation established the Occoquan Reservoir PFAS Reduction Program to mitigate excessive levels of these harmful substances in public drinking water.
Under the program, industries discharging wastewater into the reservoir or nearby treatment plants must begin testing for PFAS chemicals by October 1, 2025, using EPA-approved methods to assess contamination levels. Additionally, they are required to comply with the established MCLs as soon as possible, with a final deadline of July 1, 2029.
On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced final national primary drinking water standards for six types of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane-sulfonic acid (PFHxS), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX chemicals), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The standard also establishes a hazard index (HI) for a mixture of two or more of the following: PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA, and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).
On March 14, 2023, the EPA announced its proposed national drinking water standards for 6 types of Poly-and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) including proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). The proposed standard also includes establishing a hazard index for a combination of four other PFAS compounds. For more information about the proposed standards, please visit https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
In June 2022, EPA released interim health advisory levels of 4.0 ppt for PFOA and 4.0 ppt for PFOS. Additionally, final health advisories were released of 2,000 ppt for PFBS and 10 ppt for GenX chemicals.
In February 2021, the EPA issued a final determination to regulate PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. The agency also proposed to require water utilities monitor for 29 PFAS compounds in drinking water. In April 2021, the agency announced the establishment of the EPA Council on PFAS to develop a national strategy to protect public health and make recommendations regarding PFAS.
In December 2021, EPA published the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). UCMR 5 requires sample collection for 30 chemical contaminants between 2023 and 2025, using analytical methods developed by EPA and consensus organizations. Twenty-nine PFAS chemicals will be included in this study.
VDH
In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed two bills (HB 586 and HB 1257) that directed the VDH’s Office of Drinking Water (ODW) to study the occurrence, health effects and treatability of PFAS compounds in public drinking water and to adopt maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for some PFAS compounds.