PFAS OUT
Helping Communities Address PFAS in Drinking Water
Ensuring that all Americans can rely on clean and safe drinking water is a priority for EPA, including safeguarding drinking water from PFAS. Key to this effort is EPA’s PFAS OUTreach initiative—or PFAS OUT. PFAS OUT was announced in 2025 as a new outreach initiative that, for the first time, will proactively and systematically engage with water systems that face potential challenges with PFAS, with a focus on preparing drinking water systems for future compliance with federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS.
PFAS OUT will help public drinking water systems tackle PFAS challenges by connecting them to the resources needed to take action, including funding and technical assistance. With access to these resources and support from EPA and partners, water systems across the nation can take proactive steps to address PFAS and protect the health of the communities that they serve.
PFAS OUT will host a nation-wide webinar series that will provide support to all water systems addressing PFAS concerns. EPA will proactively reach out to water systems with potential PFOA and PFOS concerns. To identify these systems, EPA will actively review drinking water monitoring data submitted to EPA through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) 5, as well as state, Tribal, and territorial data sources as available. Drinking water systems with additional local PFAS concerns should reach out to EPA for technical assistance and support.
For questions related to PFAS OUT, please contact PFASOUT@epa.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PFAS OUT?
- What systems will benefit from PFAS OUT?
- How do I apply for PFAS OUT ?
- When will PFAS OUT begin working with water systems?
- Does PFAS OUT provide any funding or technical assistance?
- Is PFAS OUT free?
- What's the difference between Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) RealWaterTA and PFAS OUT?
- What will PFAS OUT outreach entail? What should contacted systems expect?
- Why should a water systems attend a PFAS OUT webinar?
- Who should attend PFAS OUT webinars?
- What if I can't attend my regional webinar? Will webinars be recorded?
What is PFAS OUT?
PFAS OUTreach (PFAS OUT) is an outreach initiative through which EPA is helping communities identify and address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water. The PFAS OUT initiative will help public drinking water systems tackle PFAS challenges by connecting them to the resources, including funding and technical assistance, needed to take action to address PFAS in their drinking water.
How do I apply for PFAS OUT?
No application is required for PFAS OUT. EPA will reach out directly to water systems with higher levels of PFOA or PFOS (above 4 parts per trillion (ppt)). All resources shared with these systems will be posted on this website, available to all water systems. Systems which did not receive an invite will be welcome to join the webinars, as capacity allows. Drinking water systems with additional local PFAS concerns should reach out to EPA for technical assistance and support.
What systems will benefit from PFAS OUT?
The PFAS OUT initiative will target public drinking water systems that have PFOA or PFOS levels above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4 ppt. EPA is identifying these systems through Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) 5 data, as well as state, Tribal, and territory data sources as available. Through PFAS OUT, EPA will contact these systems and connect them to essential PFAS resources, tools, and opportunities for funding and technical assistance.
All resources shared with these systems will be posted on this website, available to all water systems. Any water system is welcome to join the webinars, as capacity allows. Webinar dates and registration info will be posted on this website as dates and capacity are confirmed.
EPA will also post recordings of at least one webinar per EPA region on this website so that water systems can take a more in depth look at the tools, funding, and technical assistance available in their area. Additionally, EPA plans to host a webinar open to all water systems across the nation.
When will PFAS OUT begin working with water systems?
EPA expects to begin contacting water systems with PFOA or PFOS levels above 4 ppt in summer 2026 and will host PFAS OUT webinars later in 2026.
Does PFAS OUT provide any funding or technical assistance?
PFAS OUT is an outreach initiative to connect water systems to resources, tools, funding opportunities, and technical assistance. PFAS OUT does not offer any direct funding or technical assistance. EPA offers several funding programs to address PFAS (see Relevant Links above) and water systems can request technical assistance.
Is PFAS OUT free?
Yes. There is no fee to participate in PFAS OUT.
What’s the difference between Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) RealWaterTA and PFAS OUT?
Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) RealWaterTA is a no-cost technical assistance initiative specifically for small or disadvantaged communities. PFAS OUT is an outreach initiative with the goal of sharing resources, including options for technical assistance, with public water systems across the Nation. PFAS OUT can help water systems connect to TEC RealWaterTA and many other resources. For help determining if TEC RealWaterTA can support your water system, contact RealWaterTA@epa.gov or submit the Real Water Technical Assistance Request Form.
What will PFAS OUT outreach entail? What should contacted systems expect?
Water systems with higher levels of PFOA or PFOS will receive an email from EPA including an introductory letter, a summary of available PFAS resources, and an invitation to participate in a regionally-tailored webinar. These webinars, hosted in collaboration with regional and state partners, will introduce and connect systems to national and local resources to effectively manage PFAS. These resources will also be available on this page in the coming months. Drinking water systems with additional local PFAS concerns should reach out to EPA for technical assistance and support.
Why should a water system attend a PFAS OUT webinar?
Water systems, especially small systems, will learn how to take meaningful actions to comply with the PFAS rule in the PFAS OUT webinars. The webinars will explain how to request technical assistance, assess options for addressing PFOA and PFOS rule implementation challenges, apply for funding, and contact their state regulators for additional guidance. PFAS OUT materials and webinars will share information on national and local PFAS resources, including funding and technical assistance, available to help water systems address PFAS. These resources will include information on:
- Treatment technologies
- Monitoring and rule implementation guidance
- Financial assistance opportunities
- Technical assistance opportunities
- Case studies and success stories of contamination treatment and mitigation
- And more
The PFAS OUT webinars will provide a detailed walkthrough of these resources as well as an opportunity for systems to ask questions.
Who should attend PFAS OUT webinars?
Decision makers and managers for your drinking water system should attend a PFAS OUT webinar. This could include:
- Utility Manager(s)
- Utility Operator(s)
- Utility Decision-Makers or Board member(s)
- Technical Assistance Providers
- State and local government partners
What if I can’t attend my regional webinar? Will webinars be recorded?
There will be one to three PFAS OUT webinars per EPA region. At least one in each region will be recorded and posted to this webpage. Additionally, EPA will hold a national webinar in late 2026 open to all systems and interested stakeholders from across the country.
Public water systems that do not receive an invitation from PFAS OUT are also welcome to attend PFAS OUT regional webinars as capacity allows. Visit www.epa.gov/PFASOUT to learn more.