The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin
10/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/29/2026 14:44
Gov. Evers Approves State's First-Ever PFAS Groundwater Standards
Press Release: Gov. Evers Approves State's First-Ever PFAS Groundwater Standards
State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 10/29/2026 05:00 AM CDT| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 29, 2026 |
| Contact: [email protected] |
| Gov. Evers Approves State's First-Ever PFAS Groundwater Standards |
| Following years of Republican obstruction, Evers Administration secures critical safeguard to protect crucial source of drinking water for many Wisconsinites |
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MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today announced that he has approved the state's first-ever enforceable PFAS standards for groundwater, bringing the state's threshold for PFAS contamination in groundwater to a new enforceable standard of 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) for certain PFAS contaminants-an effort that will significantly improve groundwater and drinking water quality for Wisconsinites across the state. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 95 percent of Wisconsin's communities and about 70 percent of Wisconsin residents rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply. Together with the governor's approval of similar changes earlier this year to bring the state's current drinking water standards in line with health-based federal limits for PFAS, these actions mark another significant step forward on longstanding efforts of the Evers Administration to combat PFAS, protect kids and families from harmful contaminants, and expand access to safe drinking water statewide. "Groundwater is the primary source for Wisconsinites' drinking water across our state, which is why having enforceable groundwater standards for PFAS is so critically important. Ensuring Wisconsinites have access to clean water has been a top priority for me and my administration from the get-go, and today is a historic step in our efforts," said Gov. Evers. "Every Wisconsinite deserves to know that the water coming from their tap is safe, but for years Republican appointees and legislators stood in the way. Now, we have the state's first-ever enforceable PFAS groundwater standards, which marks another major milestone in our work to build a healthier, safer future for generations of Wisconsinites to come." The Evers Administration previously proposed PFAS groundwater standards three separate times during the governor's time in office-all of which were either rejected at the time by the Republican-controlled Natural Resources Board or halted by Republican legislative barriers, with the most recent blocked rulemaking effort ending in February 2025. Despite these Republican obstruction efforts, the Evers Administration immediately started this current rulemaking process for setting PFAS groundwater standards that same month. This announcement comes as last week, Gov. Evers announced the launch of two new grant programs, the PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program and the Wisconsin PFAS Private Well Testing Program, which will provide funding to help communities sample private wells and public water supplies for PFAS contamination. These two grant programs are funded by the $125 million PFAS Trust Fund, which was previously approved in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget but languished unspent in Madison for years despite the governor's persistent demands for the funds to be released. Earlier this year, that funding was released thanks to 2025 Wisconsin Acts 200 and 201, which were signed by Gov. Evers. Additional grant programs to aid in the state's efforts to ensure clean, safe water for Wisconsinites, also to be funded by the PFAS Trust Fund, will be announced in the coming months. Last year, the governor and the Natural Resources Board also approved amendments to the state's lead and copper rule to be in line with federal standards. Both rule changes for lead and copper standards and PFAS standards outline that water systems must take corrective action if the new standards are exceeded to protect public health, welfare, and the safety of the customers it serves. ADDITIONAL EVERS ADMINISTRATION EFFORTS TO ENSURE WISCONSINITES HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER FREE FROM PFAS Last month, Gov. Evers kicked off the first-ever PFAS Awareness Week, during which the governor and the DNR encouraged Wisconsinites to explore the DNR's website for resources about PFAS and the PFAS Interactive Data Viewer to learn about how PFAS may impact local communities statewide. Throughout the week, DNR informed Wisconsinites about PFAS, how Wisconsinites are exposed to PFAS through water, fish and wildlife, and consumer products, and specific actions that individuals can take to reduce their exposure and potential risk. However, ensuring Wisconsinites have clean, safe drinking water straight from their tap has been a top priority for Gov. Evers since Day One. Gov. Evers declared 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water and has spent the entirety of his two terms as governor fighting for efforts to address PFAS contamination, proposing numerous comprehensive plans to protect Wisconsinites from PFAS in drinking, ground, and surface water. The Evers Administration enacted the first statewide standards for PFAS in surface and drinking water and proposed groundwater standards multiple times despite Republican obstruction. Gov. Evers also secured a historic $125 million investment of state funding in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget to assist homeowners and communities in addressing PFAS contamination, only for Republicans in the Legislature to block the DNR from accessing this funding for over two years. Months later, in his 2025-27 Executive Budget, Gov. Evers once again recommended a comprehensive plan to address PFAS contamination across surface, drinking, and groundwater. Among other provisions, the governor's proposal recommended allowing the full balance of the PFAS Trust Fund to be utilized by the DNR, with special attention made to protect innocent landowners, as well as the adoption of major policies in the CLEAR Act, including exempting DNR rulemaking relating to setting enforceable PFAS standards from the REINS Act. Unfortunately, Republican lawmakers removed all of the governor's proposals to address PFAS contamination from the final budget. Gov. Evers also recently celebrated the state budget committee's release of $10 million from the state's PFAS Trust Fund to help provide safe, clean drinking water to families and communities impacted by contamination from Tyco Fire Products LP's Fire Technology Center. The release of the funds comes as, in August, Gov. Evers and DNR formally requested the Wisconsin State Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance release the approximately $10 million payment that Tyco made as part of the June 2026 settlement agreement that resolved State of Wisconsin v. Tyco Fire Products LP, which marked one of the first efforts to hold polluters accountable for PFAS contamination caused in Marinette. After pressure from Gov. Evers, lawmakers finally acted on the request. Now that the funding has been released to the Evers Administration, it will be used to provide clean, safe drinking water to those who have had their water polluted by PFAS contamination in the area, as well as testing and replacing contaminated wells and installing treatment systems. In addition to these efforts, in March, as noted above, Gov. Evers also approved new changes to bring the state's current drinking water standards in line with health-based federal limits for PFAS, reducing the state's threshold for PFOA and PFAS contamination in drinking water from 70 ppt to a new enforceable standard of 4.0 ppt. However, the Trump Administration has recently tried to roll back some of these standards, making statewide action to protect Wisconsinites from PFAS even more significant. PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products, including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays, and certain types of firefighting foam. During manufacturing, use, and disposal of materials that contain PFAS, these chemicals have reached the environment where they resist degradation. As PFAS cycle through the land, air, and water, they can accumulate in the bodies of humans and wildlife and may cause adverse health impacts. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
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The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin published this content on October 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 29, 2026 at 20:45 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]