OTHER TOPICS | Regulations
PFAS Regulation in the US
A look at how utilities and the industry need to prepare.
Tom Finke | Grundfos
For anyone operating a water treatment system in the United States, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are no longer something to monitor. They are something that needs to be designed for, planned for and delivered on every day.
In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first national drinking water standards for PFAS. These set maximum contaminant levels of 4 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and 10 parts per trillion for perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPODA), along with a hazard index approach for certain mixtures. In May 2025, the EPA confirmed it would keep the PFOA and PFOS limits, while reassessing parts of the broader framework and extending compliance timelines.
Changes in Day-to-Day Operations
PFAS raises the bar for water treatment performance. Unlike many traditional contaminants, PFAS must be controlled at extremely low concentrations, often close to detection limits. This is not about meeting a target at commissioning. It is about maintaining consistent performance over time.
The margin for error is now much smaller. A shift in flow, a change in raw water quality or delayed media replacement can push a system out of compliance.
Why PFAS Keeps Returning
PFAS is not something that can be fully eliminated at the source. It continues to enter water systems due to decades of widespread use across industries and products. In many cases, alternatives are still limited or evolving.
For operators, this has practical implications. PFAS is not a one-time challenge that can be engineered away. It is a continuous input that needs to be managed. At the same time, regulatory expectations continue to evolve, often faster than new infrastructure can be designed and built.
The Operational Burden
Under the current regulatory framework, drinking water utilities carry the main responsibility for treatment. Industrial users may also face increasing scrutiny, but the immediate compliance pressure sits with utilities. This is already influencing how source water is evaluated. Supplies that were previously considered viable may now require significant additional treatment or may no longer be used at all.
Granular Activated Carbon
Experience from early adopting states, especially in the northeastern United States, has shaped current treatment decisions. As a result, granular activated carbon is often selected for use in PFAS treatment applications. It is able to remove PFAS at very low concentrations, fits into existing operating practices and is supported by established supply chains for media production, reactivation and handling.
There is also a practical design advantage. Systems built around carbon media can often accommodate alternative treatment options in the future without major structural changes.
Systemwide Impacts
PFAS treatment affects more than the process train itself. Media replacement, disposal or reactivation, increased head loss and more frequent monitoring all add to the operational load.
These impacts influence energy use, staffing needs and long-term operating costs. They are sometimes underestimated in early project phases, when the focus is on achieving compliance. Over time, however, they shape system performance and resilience.
For industrial water and wastewater systems, the challenge is often more complex. Feed streams can vary widely, and there is rarely a standard solution.
Early Planning Reduces Supply Risk
As compliance deadlines approach, procurement is becoming a constraint. Demand for vessels, media and key components is increasing, driven not only by PFAS projects but also by other water-intensive sectors.
Lead times are extending. Utilities that delay planning may find themselves competing for limited capacity at the same time. Those that started earlier have moved through the learning curve and reduced their risk of noncompliance.
From Compliance to Confidence
PFAS regulation is complex and resource intensive. The question is no longer whether PFAS will shape investment decisions. It already does. The task now is to build systems that deliver consistent performance, manage uncertainty and adapt as standards evolve.
References
- Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, April 2024. epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/drinking-water-utilities-and-professionals-technical-overview-of-pfas-npdwr.pdf
- EPA Announces It Will Keep Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA, PFOS, May 2025. epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-it-will-keep-maximum-contaminant-levels-pfoa-pfos
Tom Finke is vice president and head of water treatment at Grundfos. He holds a doctorate in chemistry and has more than 18 years of experience from the Bosch Group, where he most recently served as senior vice president technology and head of business unit electric solutions. For more information, visit grundfos.com.
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