EPA’s 2024 PFAS rule imposes specific monitoring, reporting, and public notification requirements on public water systems. Understanding what utilities are required to do helps consumers know what information they are entitled to and how to obtain it for their own water supply decision-making.
Initial Monitoring Requirements
All community water systems and non-transient non-community systems are required to monitor for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA (GenX), and PFBS under the 2024 rule. Initial monitoring must occur within 3 years of the rule’s effective date (by approximately 2027), with subsequent monitoring frequency determined by initial results. Systems exceeding MCLs must monitor quarterly; systems below MCLs may qualify for reduced monitoring frequency.
Public Notification Requirements
Utilities that detect PFAS above MCLs must provide public notification as required under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations — with timing, method, and content specified by the rule. Annual Consumer Confidence Reports must include information about detected PFAS, MCL comparisons, and potential health effects for all detected compounds. Real-time online posting of monitoring results is required in some state programs and is becoming standard practice for transparency-oriented utilities regardless of requirement.
How to Access Your Utility’s Data
Contacting your water utility directly — by phone, email, or through the utility’s website — and requesting current PFAS monitoring data is the most direct approach. EPA’s PFAS Analytic Tools website provides geographic data on reported PFAS concentrations in public water systems. EWG’s Tap Water Database compiles utility water quality reports in a consumer-accessible format. State drinking water program websites often include utilities’ monitoring results in searchable databases.