The EPA recently published their eighth set of data under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), which tracks and compiles data on the prevalence of contaminants in drinking water systems. The fifth round of the UCMR data collection began in 2021. The data collection under this rule is now 75% complete for lithium and 29 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds, representing data from roughly 6,900 public water systems at 18,000 sampling locations. The final data set for UCMR 5 is expected to be released in 2026.
Early results, based on a weighted estimate, indicate that 8.5% of public water systems nationwide have one or more PFAS present at a concentration exceeding the Maximum Contaminant Level outlined in the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Rule. Sixty six percent of the sampling locations with one PFAS result at or above the minimum reporting levels have others at or above the minimum levels as well. In areas with exceedances above the minimum reporting levels, PFAS tend to co-occur as mixtures.
The U.S. EPA has developed the UCMR Archival Data Finder to allow the public to more easily track this data and have created a data summary sheet for UCMR 5 specifically. WateReuse will continue to track these developments. |