The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released draft preliminary guidelines for PFOA and PFOS. The interim recommendations follow EPA’s PFAS Action Plan announced earlier this year. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), including PFOA and PFOS, are manufactured chemicals that are found in many everyday products, including nonstick pans, cleaning products, paints, and firefighting foam.

The interim EPA guidance recommends a 70 parts per trillion preliminary remediation goal for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water The 70 ppt recommendation is not an enforceable regulation but an initial target for cleanup, and EPA may revise the guidance as new information becomes available.

At the state level, Wisconsin currently has not set a statutory maximum contaminant level. The Wisconsin Department of Health Service (DHS) is in the process of finalizing a drinking water level recommendation for PFOA and PFOS. After DHS establishes a standard – likely this summer – the Department of Natural Resources will then implement that standard for enforcement through the rulemaking process.

For more information about PFAS regulation in Wisconsin, visit /pfas/.