PFAS in Drinking Water: What Plumbers Should Tell Customers

Quick answer: What should plumbers tell customers about PFAS in drinking water? Tell them the facts: PFAS are man-made “forever chemicals,” the EPA set a legal limit of 4.0 parts per trillion for the two best known ones, PFOA and PFOS, and water systems have until April 2029 to meet it. Then show them how to find out what is in their own water, and which home filters are certified to reduce PFAS.

Watch Roger Wakefield’s video, then read on for the PFAS rules in plain English, and the straight answers a plumber can give a worried homeowner at the kitchen sink.

What are PFAS in drinking water?

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are man-made chemicals, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls them “forever chemicals.” When customers ask about PFAS in drinking water, they usually mean these chemicals showing up in the water that comes out of the tap.

The EPA says certain PFAS are known to cause risks to human health. That is why the agency set national drinking water limits for them, and why customers are starting to ask plumbers about it.

What did the EPA decide about PFAS limits?

On April 10, 2024, the EPA finalized the first national drinking water standard for PFAS. The EPA said the rule would reduce PFAS exposure for about 100 million people, and estimated that between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems may need to take action to meet it.

The rule set these limits, called maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). An MCL is the highest level of a contaminant the law allows in drinking water:

• PFOA: 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt).
• PFOS: 4.0 ppt.
• PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (often called GenX): 10 ppt each.
• Mixtures of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and PFBS: a combined limit called a Hazard Index, which adds up the risk from several chemicals together.

Is the PFAS rule changing?

Partly. On May 18, 2026, the EPA proposed two changes, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) PFAS page:

• PFOA and PFOS stay: the EPA proposed to keep the 4.0 ppt limits, and to let water systems request two more years to comply.
• The other four may go: the EPA proposed to rescind the limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and the Hazard Index mixture.

As of the EPA’s October 8, 2026 update, the compliance extension was still a proposed rule. The comment period closed July 20, 2026. Tell customers the PFOA and PFOS limits are staying, and that the rest is still being decided.

When do water systems have to meet the PFAS limits?

The current deadline is April 2029. Under the EPA’s proposed compliance extension rule, a water system could ask for two more years, to April 2031.

Testing comes first. The TCEQ says public water systems have to finish their first round of PFAS monitoring by April 26, 2027, and community water systems must report PFAS detections in their Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), the yearly water quality report.

How can a customer find out if their water has PFAS?

It depends on where the water comes from. The EPA’s steps to reduce your risk split it into two cases:

1. City water: contact the local water utility, ask how it is addressing PFAS, and ask it to test or to share results it already has.
2. Private well: test the well regularly, and contact the state environmental or health agency for guidance.

City water customers should also read their yearly report. Roger’s guide on how to read a water quality report walks through the table line by line.

Who should test a private well for PFAS?

A certified lab. The EPA’s page on PFAS in private wells says to use a state-certified laboratory that uses EPA-developed testing methods, and to contact your state environmental or health agency for a list of certified labs.

A well owner gets no yearly report from a water system, so testing is the only way to know.

Do home water filters remove PFAS?

Certified ones can greatly reduce PFAS, according to the EPA’s testing of point-of-use systems. The EPA’s guide to filters certified to reduce PFAS names three technologies:

• Granular activated carbon (GAC): carbon in a filter traps chemicals as water passes through it.
• Ion exchange resin (IX): tiny beads attract and hold contaminants.
• Reverse osmosis (RO): water is forced through a thin barrier that separates chemicals from the drinking water.

The EPA says to look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFAS reduction, or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis systems. It also says a filter only works when it is maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions, including replacing the filter or membrane on schedule.

What should plumbers not promise about PFAS?

Do not promise a number you cannot prove. The EPA notes that, as of April 2024, the certification standards for PFAS filters did not yet show removal down to the new drinking water levels, and it is working with standard-setting bodies to update them.

So skip the scare talk and the guarantees. Show the customer the utility’s results or a lab test, show the certification on the product, and explain the maintenance the filter will need. Roger covers how to do that honestly in his guide on how plumbers sell water treatment by testing in front of the customer.

Where can plumbers learn water quality from Roger?

Roger teaches plumbers water quality through the HALO Water Tour. Texas plumbers should also read Roger’s guide to the Texas plumbing license and water treatment before they take on treatment work.

Frequently asked questions about PFAS in drinking water

These are the questions customers ask plumbers most about PFAS.

What is the legal limit for PFAS in drinking water?

The EPA limit for PFOA and PFOS is 4.0 parts per trillion each. The EPA has proposed rescinding the separate limits for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and the Hazard Index mixture.

When do water systems have to comply with the PFAS rule?

By April 2029. The EPA has proposed letting systems request two more years, to April 2031, but that rule was still a proposal as of October 2026.

Should private well owners test for PFAS?

The EPA says private well owners should test regularly, use a state-certified lab that uses EPA-developed methods, and contact their state environmental or health agency for guidance.

What filter certification should I look for to reduce PFAS?

The EPA says to check the label for NSF/ANSI 53 for PFAS reduction, or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis systems, and to replace filters on the manufacturer’s schedule.

Who is Roger Wakefield?

Roger Wakefield is a licensed Master Plumber with 45 years in the trades, a blue-collar keynote speaker and one of the most watched trades educators in the world, with 1.7 million followers and more than 160 million YouTube views.

About Roger Wakefield

Roger Wakefield has spent 45 years in the trades, and today he teaches them to 1.7 million followers across social media, on his YouTube channel and on The Trade Talks. Read Roger’s story, see his training programs, or watch his videos on YouTube.