California Division of Drinking Water Releases PFAS Monitoring Requirements for Water Systems

This month, California’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) sent orders to public water systems throughout California requiring monitoring for PFAS under the authority of California Assembly Bill (AB) 756. AB 756 gave the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) authority to require public water systems to conduct monitoring for PFAS and included specific requirements for public notification.  Under AB 756, if a public water system is required to monitor for PFAS and has a “confirmed detection” the utility “….shall report that detection in the water system’s annual consumer confidence report.” ”

Full information on the PFAS General Order can be found here.

  • Eighteen PFAS compounds will be monitored using EPA Method 537.1; the list of these 18 compounds can be found here (Exhibit B).
  • Exhibit A (posted in five sections) of the General Order contains the list of public water systems and specific wells required to monitor.
  • The cover letter sent to California public water systems can be found here