Gov. Evers Signs New PFAS, Lead Regulations

Gov. Tony Evers enters the Wisconsin Assembly Chambers before delivering the State of the State address Tuesday Feb. 17, 2026, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday that he’s signed off on bringing Wisconsin’s PFAS and lead regulations in line with federal standards.

The move comes amid legal challenges to federal regulations and an ongoing power struggle between Wisconsin’s Democratic governor and the Republican-controlled Legislature over agency rules.

The new state rules mirror federal regulations enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration.

In 2024, the EPA issued a rule that set individual limits for two of the most commonly studied chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion. The agency also set standards at 10 parts per trillion for three other chemicals: PFNA, PFHxS and GenX. And it set limits on a mix of those three and a fourth chemical, PFBS.

The EPA also revised its Lead and Copper Rule, which requires replacement of all lead service lines by 2037. The new rule also lowers the level that triggers action for addressing lead pipes from 15 to 10 parts per billion.

“My administration has been committed to getting harmful contaminants like lead, copper, and PFAS out of our water since Day One, and with these new, stronger standards, not only are we keeping folks safe, but we’re building a healthier future for Wisconsin,” Evers said in a statement.

The move comes as a national water utility group is suing to overturn both lead and PFAS regulations over concerns that meeting the standards would cost billions of dollars and fall on water customers. Under the Republican Trump administration, the EPA has said it would defend the deadline for replacing lead pipes and stringent PFAS standards for two widely studied chemicals. But it’s seeking to revise limits for other PFAS.

At the same time, Evers and Republicans continue to fight over the authority of state agencies after a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in July scaled back the Legislature’s ability to indefinitely block agency rules. In August, Evers told state agencies that the decision meant only his signature was needed before agency rules could take effect, urging them to publish more than two dozen rules.

Top Wisconsin Republicans state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, tried to halt that effort by changing guidelines for when the Legislative Reference Bureau can publish rules through a legislative committee.

In response, Evers sued the two GOP leaders last fall and accused them of ignoring the Supreme Court ruling, and the legal battle remains ongoing.

In the meantime, Senate and Assembly committees took no action on the state’s new lead and copper rule after Evers approved the regulation in December. The rule was filed with the Legislative Reference Bureau on Feb. 18, and it’s set to be published on March 30.

However, the state’s new PFAS rule has yet to be filed with the Legislative Reference Bureau and no publication date has been set.

Evers’ announcement comes as he and Republicans are close to reaching a deal to release $132 million set aside in a PFAS trust fund for addressing contamination from the chemicals.

Last month, the Wisconsin Assembly unanimously signed off on two bills to address PFAS. One bill would exempt certain individuals and businesses from cleaning up the chemicals under the state’s spills law. Exemptions under the law had been a sticking point in negotiations.

The Senate has yet to vote on the bills. Its last general floor session ends on March 19.

Listen to the WPR report

Gov. Tony Evers signs off on new PFAS, lead regulations was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.