Since 12 January, EU Member States must monitor, in a harmonised way, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water to comply with new EU limit values under the recast Drinking Water Directive.
The states are under obligation to also inform the Commission of these monitoring results, including data on exceedances of the limit values, incidents and any granted derogations.
The new reporting system is simpler than under the previous Drinking Water Directive and reduces the amount of data to be reported. It is the first time systematic monitoring of PFAS in drinking water is being implemented in the EU.
If the limit values are exceeded, Member States must take action to reduce the level of PFAS and protect public health, while also informing the public. These measures may include closing contaminated wells, adding treatment steps to remove PFAS, or restricting the use of drinking water supplies for as long as the exceedance continues.
The recast Drinking Water Directive was adopted in 2020, and Member States were required to transpose the directive into national law by January 2023.
In 2024, to support consistent monitoring across the EU, the Commission issued technical guidelines on analytical methods for measuring the ‘PFAS Total’ and ‘Sum of PFAS’ in drinking water.
This is the first time systematic monitoring of PFAS in drinking water is being implemented in the EU. If the limit values are exceeded, Member States must take action to reduce the level of PFAS to protect public health and inform the public. These measures may include closing contaminated wells, adding treatment steps to remove PFAS, or restricting the use of drinking water supplies for as long as the exceedance continues.
“PFAS pollution is a growing concern for drinking water across Europe,” said the EU’s Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall: “With harmonised limits and mandatory monitoring now in force, Member States have the rules and tools to swiftly detect and address PFAS to protect public health.”
