15,000 Comments Later

A few days ago, we mentioned that the EPA's public comment period on two proposed PFAS drinking water rules closed on July 20 — today. It closed. Here's the update, short and straight.

More than 15,000 comments were submitted to the federal docket on the proposed rescission rule alone. That's a genuinely large number for a drinking water rulemaking — most of these comment periods pass with barely any public attention at all. People noticed this one, and they showed up to say something about it.

What was actually being decided

Two separate proposals were on the table. One would give water utilities two extra years — pushing the compliance deadline to 2031 — to meet the existing 4 parts per trillion limits on PFOA and PFOS. The other would rescind the enforceable limits entirely for four additional PFAS compounds, including GenX. Neither proposal touches the core PFOA/PFOS standard itself. Both are about timeline and scope.

What happens now

Nothing changes today. The EPA reviews the comments, and at some point — there's no fixed deadline for this next step — issues a final rule that may or may not reflect what people said. Fifteen thousand comments is a strong signal, not a guarantee of an outcome. Regulatory processes move on their own schedule regardless of how loud the room gets.

Why we're following up at all

We said it a few days ago and it's still true: you can't personally speed this up, and waiting on it isn't a strategy for what comes out of your own tap between now and whenever a final rule lands. This update doesn't change anything about what we'd tell you to do at home — it's just worth knowing that this many people cared enough to say something, even if the system they said it to moves at its own pace regardless.