Drinking water regulatory developments, explained.
Plain-language summaries of federal and state drinking water changes affecting public water systems.
Emergency preparedness: EPA updates small-system incident response resources Federal Resilience
EPA refreshed its water utility response toolkit with small-system templates for main breaks, contamination events, power loss, and boil-water notices.
Who is affected: All public water systems; templates target systems without dedicated emergency staff.
Important dates: Ongoing.
July 29, 2026 · Source
Disinfection byproducts: Stage 2 compliance monitoring reminders Federal Disinfection Byproducts
EPA reiterated Stage 2 DBP rule locational running annual average (LRAA) requirements in recent training cycles; states report TTHM/HAA5 exceedances rising with warmer source water.
Who is affected: Community and NTNC systems that add a disinfectant.
Important dates: Quarterly or annual monitoring per your schedule; LRAA computed each period.
July 21, 2026 · Source
Cybersecurity guidance for water systems after Section 1433 assessments Federal Security
EPA and CISA continue to publish water-sector cybersecurity guidance and free assessment resources after federal advisories on attacks targeting water utility SCADA and remote access.
Who is affected: All public water systems using networked controls or remote monitoring.
Important dates: Ongoing. CISA free vulnerability scanning enrollment is open continuously.
July 08, 2026 · Source
California: LCRI service line inventory and replacement plan enforcement State Lead & Copper
The State Water Board Division of Drinking Water is enforcing federal LCRI inventory obligations and requires systems with lead or unknown service lines to submit replacement plans.
Who is affected: California community water systems and NTNCWSs, especially those reporting unknown-material service lines.
Important dates: Inventories must be kept current; replacement plans due with the federal 2027 compliance date.
June 24, 2026 · Source
UCMR 6 planning: next unregulated contaminant monitoring cycle Federal Monitoring
EPA is developing the sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule cycle following UCMR 5 (2023-2025), which collected national PFAS and lithium occurrence data.
Who is affected: Systems serving over 3,300 people (all), plus a representative sample of smaller systems.
Important dates: UCMR 5 data collection ended 2025; UCMR 6 monitoring expected to begin 2028.
June 10, 2026 · Source
Operator certification: EPA training resources and state reciprocity Federal Certification
EPA's drinking water training hub consolidated small-system operator courses, exam prep, and expense-reimbursement grant information.
Who is affected: Water system operators and boards in all states; certification requirements are state-specific.
Important dates: Certification renewal cycles are state-specific — most run 2-3 years with CEU requirements.
June 02, 2026 · Source
EPA proposes extending PFOA/PFOS compliance deadline to 2031 Federal PFAS
EPA announced it will keep the MCLs for PFOA and PFOS but proposed extending the compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031, and reconsidering the regulatory determinations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the PFAS hazard-index mixture.
Who is affected: All community water systems and non-transient non-community water systems nationwide.
Important dates: Initial monitoring: 2027. Proposed PFOA/PFOS compliance: 2031 (rulemaking in progress).
May 14, 2026 · Source
California: PFAS monitoring orders and notification levels State PFAS
DDW maintains notification and response levels for PFOA, PFOS, and PFBS and continues issuing monitoring orders to systems near known contamination sources.
Who is affected: California public water systems, prioritized by proximity to airports, landfills, and industrial sites.
Important dates: Ongoing; monitoring orders carry system-specific deadlines.
May 05, 2026 · Source
Texas: TCEQ PFAS sampling and public notification updates State PFAS
TCEQ is implementing the federal PFAS rule with state-run sampling assistance for small systems and updated public-notice templates.
Who is affected: Texas public water systems, especially groundwater systems under 10,000 population.
Important dates: Initial PFAS monitoring must be complete by 2027.
April 30, 2026 · Source
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule revisions take effect Federal Reporting
EPA revised the CCR Rule to require twice-yearly delivery for systems serving 10,000+, plain-language summaries, and translation accessibility for limited-English-proficiency customers.
Who is affected: All community water systems; delivery frequency change affects systems serving 10,000 or more.
Important dates: Annual CCR due July 1 each year. Revised requirements phase in beginning 2027.
April 21, 2026 · Source
New York: DOH PFAS MCLs remain stricter than federal for some analytes State PFAS
New York enforces state MCLs of 10 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, adopted before the federal rule; state compliance continues on the state schedule while federal obligations phase in.
Who is affected: New York public water systems.
Important dates: State MCLs are in effect now; federal timeline phases in through 2031.
March 18, 2026 · Source
Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) final rule in effect Federal Lead & Copper
EPA finalized the LCRI requiring virtually all lead service lines to be replaced within 10 years, lowering the lead action level from 15 to 10 µg/L, and strengthening tap sampling protocols.
Who is affected: All community water systems and non-transient non-community water systems.
Important dates: Compliance date: November 1, 2027. Baseline inventory was due October 16, 2024, and must be kept current.
March 02, 2026 · Source
America's Water Infrastructure Act: risk assessments cycle for large CWSs Federal Resilience
AWIA Section 2013 requires community water systems serving 3,300+ to review and recertify Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans every five years.
Who is affected: Community water systems serving 3,300 or more people.
Important dates: RRA recertification: 2025-2026 depending on size class; ERP certification six months after each RRA.
February 17, 2026 · Source
EPA Water System Restructuring Assessment authority now in effect Federal Enforcement
Under SDWA amendments, states can require restructuring assessments for chronically noncompliant systems, including consolidation feasibility.
Who is affected: Persistently noncompliant community water systems, primarily small systems.
Important dates: Effective now; state adoption varies.
February 03, 2026 · Source
Florida: DEP triennial monitoring schedule updates State Monitoring
FDEP published updated monitoring schedules for the 2026-2028 compliance period covering IOCs, VOCs, and SOCs.
Who is affected: Florida community and non-transient non-community water systems.
Important dates: 2026-2028 compliance period is active now.
January 12, 2026 · Source