On-Base DoD-Owned and Operated Drinking Water Systems
DoD provides drinking water to approximately 2 million people on its installations worldwide. To protect the health of our Service members, their families, and the DoD civilian workforce, DoD has tested all DoD-owned and operated drinking water systems for PFAS. DoD has taken action at locations where on-base drinking water exceeded 70 parts per trillion (ppt) of PFOS and PFOA.
On April 26, 2024, the EPA published a final federal National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing drinking water standards for certain PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This rule applies to public drinking water systems. EPA’s drinking water rule includes enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) for five PFAS. It also includes a Hazard Index (HI) MCL for mixtures of certain PFAS. The rule provides five years for regulated public water systems to comply. The Department is collecting the necessary sampling information and is taking actions to ensure compliance within the required 5-year timeframe.