Commencement date for PFAS limits
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WQ.30/2026
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BY DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER NORTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 9th FEBRUARY 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2026
Question
"Will the Minister explain the evidential basis for selecting 1st January 2031 as the commencement date for the recommended limit of 4 ng/l (4 nanograms per litre) of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in water supplied to the public by Jersey Water, as set out in the Draft Water Law (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202-; and will he also advise whether earlier commencement dates (including phased or interim standards) were considered and, if so, the reasons they were not chosen?"
Answer
The proposed commencement date is informed by the advice of the Independent PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel. The Panel recommended that a combined limit of 4 nanograms per litre for the sum of four PFAS should be achieved within five years, recognising that meeting this stricter standard will require operational changes to water treatment infrastructure.
The advice I received from the Panel was that introducing earlier commencement dates or interim statutory limits would not materially accelerate the achievement of the final health-based standard and could add complexity without improving outcomes. The approach taken instead provides clarity, certainty and a clear long-term target, while allowing the necessary technical work to be completed.
In the meantime, Jersey Water continues to meet existing UK and EU drinking water standards, and monitoring and reporting of PFAS in the public water supply will continue throughout the implementation period. I will keep progress under review as work to deliver the new standard advances.