The U.S. EPA recently announced the creation of Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Preliminary Plan 15), which identifies opportunities to better protect public health and the environment through regulation of wastewater pollution. For the first time, PFAS will become regulated for wastewater effluent through the Clean Water Act (CWA).

Through Preliminary Plan 15, the EPA will undertake three new rulemakings to reduce contaminants including PFAS and nutrients — from key industries. The three new rulemakings will be instituted after the agency determined that revised effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and pretreatment standards are warranted for:

• Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers category to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) discharges from facilities manufacturing PFAS.

• Metal Finishing category to address PFAS discharges from chromium electroplating facilities.

• Meat and Poultry Products category to address nutrient discharges.

As background, the EPA prepares Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plans pursuant to CWA section 304(m).

Merit Laboratories is a leading national PFAS environmental laboratory, analyzing drinking water, soil, wastewater, groundwater, and other sample matrices, including biosolids and sludge. Analytical methods performed by Merit for PFAS include drinking water by EPA 533, EPA 537.1, and EPA 537 rev. 1.1, biosolids by ASTM D7968-17 with Isotopic Dilution, and soil, wastewater, groundwater, and surface water by ASTM D7979-19 with Isotopic Dilution and ASTM D7968-17.