With national PFAS standards in flux, New Hampshire regulators try to move forward

By Mara Hoplamazian | New Hampshire Public Radio | April 23, 2026

Read the full article by Mara Hoplamazian (New Hampshire Public Radio)

"When the first federal rules limiting a handful of so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water were adopted in 2024, advocates who had long fought for stricter regulations on harmful PFAS chemicals celebrated.

The limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency two years ago were lower than the limits New Hampshire regulators set in 2019. They only applied to six of the roughly 15,000 PFAS chemicals. But state officials worried about the costs and feasibility of implementing stricter limits on a substance that has made its way into every part of life, and the bodies of essentially all Americans.

The Biden administration argued the benefits – longer, healthier lives for people across the country – outweighed the costs. States were expected to adopt those new standards by the end of this month."