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Committee holds DEQ PFAS drinking-water rule for additional presentation tomorrow
Summary
DEQ presented a pending rule to incorporate federal PFAS drinking-water requirements (40 CFR part 141) into Idaho rules; the committee voted to hold the docket until the chair calls it back after an additional presentation scheduled for the next day.
Jeri Henry, Division Administrator for Drinking Water Protection and Finance at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Tyler Fortunati, Drinking Water Bureau Chief, presented docket 58-0108-2401, which would incorporate federal Safe Drinking Water Act provisions for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) into Idaho’s drinking-water rules by updating the federal-reference date to July 1, 2024 and adding subpart Z for PFOS.
DEQ said the change is intended to protect approximately 1.5 million Idahoans served by about 1,000 public water systems, to establish enforceable maximum contaminant levels for PFOS, and to incorporate federal monitoring, analytical, reporting and record-keeping requirements. DEQ also noted some minor cleanups to prior rule sections related to geological data and bentonite grout.
Senator Blaylock asked whether the testing is new and about costs; Fortunati said regulatory testing will be new for the vast majority of public water systems and estimated average sample cost at about $325, depending on analytical method. Fortunati said a small number of water systems had conducted voluntary sampling previously.
After discussion, Senator VanOrden proposed holding the docket until the committee hears an additional presentation the following day. Senator Harris moved to hold docket 58-0108-2401 until the call of the chair; Senator Wintrow seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote. DEQ will return with more information at the next meeting before the committee votes on adoption.
