EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin detailed a $1 billion initiative aimed at removing PFAS contamination from drinking water systems on Tuesday.
In his remarks, Zeldin emphasized that addressing PFAS has been an important priority for President Trump, the Trump administration, the MAHA commission, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who chairs the MAHA commission. He noted that efforts to combat PFAS began during the first Trump administration and continue under the current one.
“We do not want water systems to be responsible for picking up the cost of removing PFAS from their water supply and then passing it off to ratepayers,” Zeldin stated. “That would force individuals to clean up contamination in their own water, which is not the right approach.”
The administrator added that the EPA has established standards for PFOA and PFOS and ensures decisions remain legally durable under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Under a proposed rule, public water systems must still meet federal limits for PFOA and PFOS, but eligible systems could apply for up to two additional years (through 2031) to comply with these standards. Systems not seeking an extension would remain subject to the original 2029 deadline.
The agency explained that this extended timeframe would allow utilities to complete necessary sampling, engineering studies, financing, and construction for PFAS removal systems while also enabling technologies to mature and become more cost-effective.
Furthermore, the EPA proposed revising drinking water standards for other PFAS compounds, including PFHxS, PFNA, GenX chemicals, and a hazard index involving multiple PFAS substances.
