New York's 2026 Plans Target PFAS In Wastewater, Drinking Water, And Biosolids

New York fired the latest salvo in its decades-long battle against PFAS In December 2025 by rolling out new policies and guidance “to ramp up monitoring for PFAS at wastewater treatment plants and at facilities that use the byproduct of those plants to produce compost products.”

“PFAS [Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances] are present in nearly every sample we have taken,” lamented Andrew Guglielmi, director of the division of environmental remediation for New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in discussing the actions.

Guglielmi’s statement could be that of nearly any wastewater treatment system operator. In October 2025, Harvard University researchers echoed the concerns of countless other scientists, concluding that microplastic exposure can lead to damage to cells, DNA, and the immune response — and that microplastics’ concentration in human tissues appears to be increasing over time. New York’s most recent attempt to address the problem includes:

• Final Technical and Operational Guidance Series (TOGS) 1.3.14 for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)  — This guidance builds on the 2023 guidance outlining how DEC will collect additional PFAS information from wastewater treatment plants. It also “recommends track-down programs and compliance schedules in State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permits to identify and address significant upstream sources contributing these contaminants to wastewater flow in their communities.”
• Draft Program Policy 7a – Biosolids Recycling in New York State – Interim Strategy to Address PFAS in Biosolids Products — DEC’s Division of Materials Management has proposed a new draft policy that expands requirements of DEC’s existing policy, Biosolids Recycling in New York State – Interim Strategy for the Control of PFAS Compounds (DMM-7).

The new policy “require[s] sampling and analysis of soil products produced from biosolids (biosolids products), such as compost and heat-dried products.” DEC will combine the collected data with other PFAS data sources to inform development of state regulations to set appropriate biosolid analytical and operating limits.

In a parallel action, the New York Farm Bureau announced a new policy position in December that opposes the use of biosolids with detectable PFAS or elevated levels of heavy metals. The Bureau further stated that it supports testing for PFAS “in all sewage sludge and its products before land application,” as well as backs the creation of “a taskforce to respond to PFAS contamination and federal or state funding for PFAS cleanup efforts.” Their goal is for biosolids suppliers to pay for PFAS testing and provide the report findings free to potential customers — protecting farm owners, farmland, and food production from any potential loss or damages due to PFAS contamination.

• Proposed Update to DER-24 / Assistance for Contaminated Water Supplies — DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediation’s (DER) is proposing changes to DER-24 to align with the data collected during the Rural Background Study showing the prevalence of PFAS in New York State’s environment. “The draft policy recognizes that not all PFAS drinking water contamination is connected to a singular industrial source, spill, or other known point source,” states the DEC press release.

Additionally, New York is exploring the possibility of strengthening limits the state places on PFAS in drinking water to align with more stringent federal limits, although the state’s Drinking Water Quality Council recently rejected a measure to do just that. A bill making the current federal limits New York State’s limits is being considered by the State Legislature. It passed the state Senate with bipartisan support but never made it out of the Assembly’s Health Committee; On Jan. 7, 2026, the legislature referred the bill back to the Health Committee.

New York is among the nation’s leaders in clean water investment: the state’s 2025–2026 enacted State allocates an additional $500 toward clean water infrastructure, bringing New York’s total investment in water infrastructure since 2017 to $6 billion. The budget also dedicates a record $425 million to the State Environmental Protection Fund.