Wisconsin Approves First PFAS Groundwater Standards: Limits Set for Six Compounds, 4 Parts Per Trillion for Two
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on October 30 approved the state's first enforceable groundwater standards for PFAS, setting limits for six compounds — PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS and HFPO-DA (GenX) — with PFOA and PFOS capped at 4 parts per trillion. Groundwater supplies drinking water to about 95% of Wisconsin communities, and roughly 70% of residents rely on it.
The standards were developed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based on health recommendations from the Department of Health Services. The DNR withdrew an earlier proposal in February 2025 and restarted the rulemaking process; the approved rule is the product of that restart. PFAS chemicals, used in nonstick coatings, waterproofing and firefighting foams, persist in the environment and the human body, and the groundwater standards will govern cleanup decisions at contaminated sites and protection of drinking water sources.
The standards are backed by a $125 million PFAS Trust Fund created in the 2023–25 state budget. In June 2026, the legislature's Joint Committee on Finance also released a settlement of about $10 million from the Tyco Fire Products contamination case at its Marinette Fire Technology Center. State officials said the standards and funding together will advance cleanups in affected communities.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 威斯康星州议会大厦，Madison（资料图）。CC BY-SA 4.0，Michael Barera摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The wisconsin state capitol in madison (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, by Michael Barera, via Wikimedia Commons.
