On September 8, 2021, the EPA released Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15, which represents the first time the agency has committed to limiting PFAS in wastewater discharges. The goal of the regulation is to protect both drinking water supplies and our recreational and aquatic ecosystems from harmful PFAS chemicals. As part of this plan, EPA has determined that revised effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and pretreatment standards are warranted for the following industrial categories:

• Organic Chemicals, Plastics, and Synthetic Fibers category to address PFAS discharges from facilities manufacturing PFAS
• Metal Finishing category to address PFAS discharges from chromium electroplating facilities
• Meat and Poultry Products category to address nutrient discharges

Current ELGs include over 59 industrial categories that apply to nearly 170,000 facilities that discharge wastewater to either surface water bodies or municipal treatment plants. There are currently no federal regulatory standards for PFAS discharges by the industries outlined in this proposed program plan; however, using available sampling data, EPA has verified that PFAS are present in wastewater discharges from many facilities falling in the categories above.

Establishing these regulatory standards could take years; however, this announcement is the first step and part of EPA’s larger plan to ultimately protect drinking water from PFAS contamination. These regulations could also affect wastewater treatment facilities across the US. The EPA is currently accepting comments on this proposal until October 14, 2021.

To read more about the proposed regulation you can visit the EPA’s website, read the Program Plan 15 Fact Sheet, or dive into the entire 41 page plan.

On September 2, 2021, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the US Department of Defense (DoD), published a draft of the first EPA-validated laboratory analytical method to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in eight media types. Previously, other approved methods included the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) methods for drinking water and non-potable water, respectively.

Prior to the validation of Method 1633, laboratories had been using a modified version of the SDWA Method or other in-house, non‑standard laboratory methods to analyze for PFAS in various media using isotope dilution. Method 1633 has been validated to test for 40 PFAS in wastewater, surface water, groundwater, soil, biosolids, sediment, landfill leachate, and fish tissue utilizing isotope dilution to achieve lower reporting limits and reduce matrix-influenced bias.

EPA and DoD will work to complete a multi-laboratory validation study of this method in 2022, in collaboration with the Office of Water and the Office of Land and Emergency Management. Once the multi-laboratory validation study is complete, the method will be finalized. In the interim, EPA is encouraging laboratories, regulatory authorities, and other interested parties to begin to use this draft method for analyzing PFAS. Apex is currently evaluating this method for use on current projects and will partner with laboratories on implementation.

The full press release can be found on the EPA’s website.