Drinking water rules will now consider 75 new chemicals and 4 groups

US environmental regulators have drafted a new list of potential drinking water contaminants. This means water systems may eventually have to test for and remove substances like PFAS and microplastics.

This list is the first update to the Contaminant Candidate List since 2017. It signals a shift toward regulating a wider range of substances that can end up in public water supplies. For years, the focus has been on a smaller set of well-known pollutants. Now, regulators are acknowledging a broader set of threats, including complex chemical groups and emerging contaminants.