PFAS in the DRB Webinar

Please Save the Date! On Monday, June 15, 2026, from 12-1 p.m., the DRBC is holding a public webinar on PFAS in the Delaware River Basin. Staff will discuss notable trends and takeaways from DRBC’s recent field investigations and demonstrate a new interactive application that visualizes PFAS levels across the Basin. Register for the webinar and learn more about PFAS at the links in the comments.

A photo of water and sediment samples collected from the Pennypack Creek. Photo by the DRBC.

PFAS: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

  • A diverse group of >14,000 chemical compounds with varying degrees of persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation in the environment

• Most produced and studied: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)

• Known as “forever chemicals,” with unique properties to repel both water and oil, as well as heat stability

• Characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds that render them resistant to degradation and result in indefinite environmental persistence

What is made of PFAS?

PFAS are found in a variety of industrial and household products, including:

• Fire-fighting foams

• Nonstick cookware, paper coatings & food packaging

• Stain repellent & waterproof textiles (clothing, furniture, carpet)

Exposure to PFAS

There is increasing evidence of PFAS adversely affecting human health and the environment.

PFAS exposure occurs via:

• Environmental release through industrial outfalls, municipal treatment plants, firefighting foams, stormwater runoff and landfill leachate
• These releases contaminate surface water and groundwater – and have been found in drinking water – and bioaccumulate in fish
• Wildlife and humans exposed through direct (swimming, drinking water, etc.) and indirect (consumption of contaminated organisms, etc.) pathways

Protecting Drinking Water

To manage and reduce PFAS exposure, the Basin states and the EPA have implemented health advisories, drinking water standards and fish consumption advisories. 

Specific to drinking water protection:

• U.S. EPA: In 2024, the EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR), setting maximum containment levels (MCL) for six target PFAS compounds. This rule requires public water systems to monitor these compounds, notify the public of their concentrations and reduce levels that exceed the proposed standards. Click the link to learn more about the current status of this rule.
• New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York: These states have PFAS drinking water standards for two to three compounds, but they are all higher than the proposed EPA limits.
• Delaware: Delaware has its own PFAS Action Plan based on the proposed EPA MCL drinking water standards.