Required Testing for PFAS in Public Drinking Water Systems

Maine Department of Health & Human Services sent this bulletin at 03/04/2022 10:00 AM EST

This update is coming to you from the Maine CDC Drinking Water Program.

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Required Testing for PFAS in Public Drinking Water Systems

  With the passage of SP 64 (Resolve, To Protect Consumers of Public Drinking Water by Establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels for Certain Substances and Contaminants), the Maine Legislature has mandated that all Public Water Systems that are either community water systems (C) or non-transient, non-community (NTNC) schools and childcare facilities sample their finished drinking water for PFAS. The Maine CDC Drinking Water Program (DWP) has highlighted important information below:

  • All Public Water Systems that are either community water systems (C) or non-transient, non-community (NTNC) schools and childcare facilities must sample finished drinking water for PFAS by December 31, 2022.
  • Systems who have tested for PFAS prior to June 21, 2021 are still required to re-test their water under this new legislation.
  • A PFAS sample must be taken at every entry point to your distribution system;
  • You may contact Maine Rural Water Association (MRWA) for PFAS sampling assistance. Please reach out to MWRA at pfasassistance@mainerwa.org for more information.
  • Results must be submitted to the DWP to document completion of this sampling requirement regardless of whether detectable quantities of PFAS are found.
  • Any PFAS detections must also be reported to the water system’s customers within 30 days of receiving the laboratory results using a Public Notice form provided by the DWP.
  • Ongoing PFAS sampling will occur for systems with detections.
  • An interim standard of 20 parts per trillion (PPT) for six PFAS (alone or in combination) is immediately in effect.
  • Treatment or other remedies must take place if the interim standard is exceeded.

The DWP has developed a sampling guidance document and a list of Frequently Asked Questions, to better help public water systems. This information is posted on the DWP’s “Testing for PFAS in Drinking Water” webpage and continues to be updated as more information becomes available. All PFAS results will be posted on this webpage as well.  

For more information regarding this required testing, the legislation, and more, please visit our Testing for PFAS in Drinking Water webpage.

 

URLS