EPA Proposes Nationwide Monitoring of 30 Emerging Drinking-Water Contaminants, Including PFAS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new nationwide monitoring program for 30 emerging drinking-water contaminants, including certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS.
EPA announced the proposed sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, or UCMR 6, on June 26, 2026. The proposal would require sampled public water systems across the United States to collect occurrence data on the proposed chemicals once the rule is finalized. EPA would then collect and release the data.
The action is a monitoring proposal, not a final rule. It does not establish new enforceable PFAS limits, and the chemicals on the proposed list should not be described as drinking-water violations or established health hazards based on this proposal alone.
What EPA is proposing
Under the proposed UCMR 6, EPA would gather information about whether and where the 30 proposed contaminants occur in public drinking-water systems. The agency’s materials describe proposed monitoring requirements, contaminant selection and the laboratory process that would support the program.
The purpose is to build a broader national record of contaminant occurrence. EPA said the resulting data would inform future assessments of contaminants and provide information that could support PFAS-related assistance for water systems.
That information could also shape later policy decisions. The proposal may help EPA evaluate whether additional action is warranted in the future, including possible drinking-water standards or other support for affected systems. Those future decisions are not part of the proposed monitoring rule itself.
What the proposal would mean for water systems
The proposal would apply to public water systems across the United States, but the approved materials do not say that every U.S. water system would be sampled. The program would produce data from systems selected for sampling rather than an automatic test of every public water supplier.
For systems included in the monitoring, the practical change would be the collection and laboratory analysis of samples for the contaminants on the final list. The information would then be released as part of EPA’s effort to assess nationwide occurrence.
The proposal could have implications for future water-system planning because monitoring data may influence later assessments, assistance and standards. However, the packet does not establish current treatment costs, the number of systems that would be sampled or the final monitoring requirements.
Public comment and August webinars
EPA said the proposal will receive a 60-day public-comment period after publication in the Federal Register. The approved materials do not establish the Federal Register publication date or the final date for submitting comments.
Before that formal comment period, EPA has scheduled identical public webinars for August 11 and August 12, 2026. The agency’s meetings-and-materials page describes the webinars as covering the proposed monitoring requirements, how contaminants were selected and the laboratory process.
The two scheduled sessions give water systems, public-health officials and other members of the public an opportunity to review the proposal and its planned methods. The approved materials do not identify additional requirements for attendees or provide a final rule date.
What happens next
The next known steps are the August webinars and Federal Register publication of the proposal. After publication, the 60-day comment period is expected to begin. EPA may revise the proposed contaminant list, monitoring requirements or the systems affected after reviewing public comments.
Until that process is complete, UCMR 6 remains a proposal. The immediate development is EPA’s effort to collect more information about 30 emerging contaminants, including certain PFAS—not the imposition of new nationwide drinking-water limits.
Sources
- EPA Announces New Action … by Collecting Data on Potential Drinking Water Contaminants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule Meetings and Materials, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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