Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced their submission of a new proposal this month to amend the state’s current drinking water standards to reflect the new federal standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants. A copy of the scope statement outlining the proposed change is available here.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently set five new federal standards for drinking water, also known as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for PFAS contamination. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act requires Wisconsin to implement the federal PFAS MCL standards into state regulations in order to retain primary enforcement authority over the state’s public water systems. To begin the rulemaking process, the governor and DNR submitted a scope statement this month to amend the current drinking water standards to reflect the new federal MCLs for PFOA and PFOS and include water standards for three new PFAS compounds for which Wisconsin does not currently have standards.
