The Department of Defense (DoD) conducts sampling of drinking water off-base to ensure it identifies potential impacts of PFAS resulting from DoD activities. Off-base drinking water includes non-DoD drinking water systems and private wells located outside the installation boundary. 

The DoD provides final test results of off-base drinking water in accordance with Section 345 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. Drinking water samples are collected in “covered areas.” These are categorized as areas in the U.S. that are adjacent to and down gradient from a military installation, Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS), or National Guard facility.

According to the DoD, it has been actively testing and monitoring off-base drinking water since 2016. The drinking water laboratory testing results in the DoD’s Section 345 Reporting are only for locations outside of the installation boundary. The DoD separately manages and reports on-base drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

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, ASTM D7968-17, and development of the new EPA 1633 method.