On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a major update to its national drinking water monitoring data under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). This dataset, representing nearly 95% of the monitoring results collected through 2025, gives the most comprehensive snapshot yet of the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in America’s public water systems.
Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog
What the Latest EPA Monitoring Data Reveal About America’s Drinking Water
Posted by Frank Skiba on Wed, Mar 11, 2026
Tags: EHS, EPA, Environmental Policy, PFAS, OHS, Environmental Compliance, EHSCompliance, Forever Chemicals, EHS Compliance, PFAS regulations, Public Water Systems, UCMR 5, Drinking Water, Safe Drinking Water Act
What are Canadian agencies doing to evaluate and control the hazards of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – often referred to as “forever chemicals”? The short answer is “More all the time, directed at more types of PFAS.” On March 5, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada issued their joint “State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Report” (Report), a 289 page status and plan report on research, information and regulatory efforts directed at PFAS hazards in Canada. The report completes a process that began in 2021, producing a draft Report In May 2023 and an updated draft in July 2024.
Read MoreTags: EHS, sustainability, PFAS, compliance, Regulatory Compliance, Environmental Regulations, Health and Safety, Forever Chemicals
