Water & Health Advisory Council member Alan Roberson participated in the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Annual Legislative Summit earlier this month, helping educate state legislators and staff on how states are addressing PFAS contamination and what lies ahead for regulation, mitigation, and funding.
Alan served as a panelist during the session “The PFAS Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together” – part of NCSL’s largest Summit ever, with more than 9,000 registrants. The PFAS discussion drew over 120 attendees and generated strong engagement through thoughtful, wide-ranging questions from the audience.
The panel highlighted several urgent challenges facing water systems:
- Regulatory certainty: He stressed the importance of aligning expectations between EPA and state agencies to ensure workable compliance timelines.
- Funding gaps: With an estimated 6,000–8,000 systems expected to require PFAS treatment upgrades, current federal resources fall far short of the true capital costs.
- Monitoring and data collection: Alan underscored the need for more comprehensive data to target resources effectively and avoid wasted investment.
- Public communication: He emphasized that clear, timely updates are critical for maintaining trust as communities become increasingly aware of PFAS risks.
The discussion made clear that evolving regulations are creating significant new demands on state and local governments – from compliance and monitoring to communication with the public. As Alan noted, safeguarding drinking water and protecting public health must remain at the center of every policy and investment decision.
