EPA proposes giving drinking-water systems until 2031 to comply with federal PFOA and PFOS limits

The Environmental Protection Agency on May 18, 2026, proposed retaining federal maximum contaminant levels for two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, while allowing eligible drinking-water systems to request up to two additional years to comply.

If adopted, the extension could move the potential compliance target to 2031. The proposal would apply to public water systems across the United States, including systems overseen by states, territories and Tribes that do not have primary authority for the federal standards.

EPA described the change as a practical implementation adjustment rather than a withdrawal of the limits. The proposal would therefore preserve the underlying federal standards while giving qualifying systems additional time to meet them. That could extend the period before some systems must complete reductions tied to the two chemicals.

The action is still a proposal, not a final nationwide deadline. EPA said monitoring and reporting deadlines established under its April 2024 rule remain in force while the agency considers the proposed compliance framework. The agency has not established the number of systems that would receive extensions or the final approval criteria in the materials announcing the proposal.