EPA proposes extending PFAS PFOA/PFOS compliance to 2031—hearing July 7, comments by July 20

On July 7, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding a virtual public hearing on a proposed drinking-water rule that would let some public water systems request a two-year extension of when they must meet the federal PFAS limits for PFOA and PFOS. Written comments are due July 20.

The proposal keeps the underlying health-based Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS in place, but it creates an “exemption” pathway for eligible systems that need more time to plan, finance, and build treatment upgrades.

For residents, the practical impact will depend on whether your utility is eligible, and on the monitoring results regulators have on file. Systems granted the extension would still be required to take interim steps during the added time, including additional controls for certain higher PFAS results.

What EPA is proposing

The April 2024 PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation set enforceable limits for PFOA and PFOS, with federal compliance deadlines tied to April 26, 2029. EPA’s new proposal would allow eligible systems to seek a federal exemption that extends the compliance deadline from April 26, 2029 to April 26, 2031.

Importantly, this is not a rollback of the PFAS limits. EPA is proposing a schedule change for systems that meet specific criteria—so the end goal remains compliance with the same MCLs.

Deadlines you can act on now

EPA’s virtual hearing is July 7, 2026. Registration to attend and provide verbal comment had a July 1, 2026 pre-registration cutoff. EPA is also accepting written comments until July 20, 2026.

Comments are tied to Docket ID EPA-HQ-OW-2025-1742 (EPA directs submissions through the Federal eRulemaking Portal and also provides e-mail and mail options in the Federal Register notice).

Who might qualify for the exemption

Under the proposed framework, eligibility is limited. EPA proposes that systems would be able to seek a federal exemption if they meet requirements tied to:

Whether their state has primacy for the relevant PFAS MCL provisions (EPA proposes exemptions for systems in states that do not have primacy for the specified PFAS subpart).
Whether the system was operating on or before June 25, 2024 (or, if it was not operating, whether it can show no reasonable alternative source of drinking water).
Whether the system has a variance affecting the PFOA/PFOS MCL requirements (the proposal indicates systems without an applicable variance).

Because these requirements are proposal-specific, eligibility is not automatic. Residents typically learn whether an exemption applies through utility and regulatory notifications tied to ongoing monitoring under the 2024 rule.

If an exemption is granted: what interim obligations look like

Exemption requests would be submitted after a final rule is issued. The proposal describes an exemption-request window that runs 180 days after final rule promulgation, and it lays out required contents for the request that must be provided to the EPA Regional Administrator.

During the extended compliance period—from April 26, 2029 through April 26, 2031—EPA’s approach includes interim public-health obligations. One key trigger involves monitoring results: if a system has any analytical result for PFOA/PFOS at or above 12 ppt, the proposal would require the system to select and certify at least two interim control measures (from EPA’s defined set) and implement them throughout the exemption period.

Even if an exemption is granted, the underlying compliance deadline still matters for customers. Treatment upgrades and the costs of building or operating controls can show up in utility budgets, rate cases, or capital improvement plans. In addition, systems would still have to follow the monitoring and public notification expectations tied to the 2024 PFAS public water regulation.

What to watch next

The next major step is EPA’s review of public comments and publication of the final rule. For households and businesses, the most important questions are likely to be:

Whether EPA tightens or clarifies exemption eligibility—especially around primacy status and compliance history.
How the interim control-measure requirements will be applied in practice once monitoring data are updated.
Whether EPA expands technical assistance and outreach, including programs designed to help smaller or rural systems manage PFAS response work.

For readers who want to reduce uncertainty, the most useful near-term action is to ask the public water system for current PFAS monitoring information and its plans for meeting the federal limits on the timetable that applies to that specific system.

Sources

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