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The Property Owner is responsible for any repairs or replacements of Sump Pumps. 

We can assist the Property Owner with investigating an issue with a sump pump that was installed by Prince William Water. For more information please see the Customer Handbook.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of more than 6,000 manmade chemicals used in the manufacture of a wide variety of industrial and household products designed to resist heat, water, oil and stains. A wide variety of products are made with PFAS, including non-stick cookware, food packaging, personal care products and water-resistant apparel.

Four PFAS of note include perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HPFO-DA or GenX). In June 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new lifetime health advisories for the four compounds.

Although their use has been phased out in the United States, the fact that these chemicals are very stable means that they tend to hang around in the environment for a long time. There is national concern about these chemicals entering our surface and groundwater drinking water sources.

Yes. 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).

According to the EPA, public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement solutions that reduce these PFAS if monitoring shows that drinking water levels exceed these MCLs. Fairfax Water will ensure that our water meets these standards..

Water utilities are passive receivers of PFAS compounds, which are used in firefighting foam, industrial processes, and consumer products. Most humans are exposed to PFAS through food and consumer products while drinking water makes up a small portion of their total exposure. Peer-reviewed studies show that exposure to elevated levels of PFAS may lead to adverse health outcomes in humans.

Due to decades of use, PFAS are everywhere in the environment. Industrial sites might release PFAS into the water or air. Consumer and household products containing PFAS enter landfills and are washed down the drain. Because of their chemical composition, PFAS do not break down naturally and can be found throughout the environment in surface water, groundwater, air, and soil. They build up in the environment over time, eventually entering our bodies through food and drinking water.

PFAS typically enters drinking water sources (lakes, rivers, wells, etc.) through storm water runoff and wastewater originating from facilities where PFAS chemicals were produced or used.

PFAS are slow to break down and using products with PFAS puts these chemicals into the environment, where, over time, they may end up in drinking water supplies. PFAS can also enter the environment as consumers wash and throw away products containing these chemicals and through bodily waste.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)
• Fairfax Water

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.

Our Water Quality Report provides up-to-date information about the quality of your water.

For more information, please contact Prince William Water’s Regulatory Affairs Office at (703) 331-4162 or email water_quality@pwwater.org.