---
title: HB 1501. Environmental Protection Division; maintain a public website for monitoring levels of certain contaminants in public water systems
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1501
cite_as: HB 1501, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1501
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1501.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1501/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73867
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1501.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1501
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Eric Gisler
- Spencer Frye
- Dewey McClain
- Long Tran
- Mary Oliver
- Debbie Buckner
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1501/2025
upstream_id: 2128646
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- drinking water safety
- PFAS forever chemicals
- public water systems
- environmental regulation
---
# HB 1501. Environmental Protection Division; maintain a public website for monitoring levels of certain contaminants in public water systems
## Text
House Bill 1501
By: Representatives Gisler of the 121st, Frye of the 122nd, McClain of the 109th, Tran of the
80th, Oliver of the 84th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 60 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations, so as to require that the
Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources maintain a public
website for monitoring levels of certain contaminants in public water systems; to provide for
annual reports and recommendations to the General Assembly; to provide for notice to water
utility companies operating public water systems when contaminant levels exceed certain
thresholds; to require that water utility companies in receipt of such notice notify all residents
receiving water from the affected public water system; to provide for definitions; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 60 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations, is amended by adding a new
Code section to read as follows:
"36-60-34.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Division' means the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural
Resources.
(2) 'Hazard index' means a sum of fractions in which each fraction compares the level
of each PFAS measured in the water to the highest level below which there is no risk of
health effects.
(2) 'Maximum contaminant level' or 'MCL' means the legal threshold limit on the amount
of a substance that is allowed in a public water system.
(3) 'PFAS' means any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance, any substance that
degrades to a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance, and any precursor of a
perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance.
(4) 'Public water system' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code
Section 12-5-172.
(b) The MCLs for the PFAS regulated under this Code section shall be as follows:
(1) For perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an MCL of 4.0 parts per trillion;
(2) For perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), an MCL of 4.0 parts per trillion;
(3) For perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), an MCL of 10.0 parts per trillion;
(4) For perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), an MCL of 10.0 parts per trillion;
(5) For hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA), commonly known as GenX
chemicals, an MCL of 10.0 parts per trillion; and
(6) For mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, or
perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), a hazard index MCL of 1;
provided, however, that the division shall, at least once per year, assess whether the United
States Environmental Protection Agency has established an MCL different than the MCL
for any substance under this subsection and submit a report to the General Assembly by
December 31 of each year documenting its findings and providing recommendations for
revising or maintaining the MCLs for substances under this subsection.
(c) The division shall develop and maintain a website that the public may access to find
the levels of PFAS in each public water system in this state. Such website shall:
(1) Be accessible using a prominently displayed link on the Drinking Water web page
of the division's website;
(2) Include a chart or link to a chart showing the MCL thresholds so as to allow users to
monitor their public water system's PFAS levels relative to the MCLs; and
(3) Include PFAS levels for every public water system, to the extent that such
information is available to the division. Where PFAS levels are not available to the
division, the website shall indicate the approximate date on which PFAS levels will be
available online and shall post the PFAS levels online as soon as they are available.
(d) If, in the division's monitoring of PFAS for purposes of compliance with this Code
section, the division finds any PFAS in a public water system that exceeds the MCL, the
division shall promptly notify the water utility company that operates the affected public
water system.
(e) Upon receiving notice from the division that a PFAS MCL has been exceeded in a
public water system, the water utility company that operates such public water system shall
provide prompt notice of the excess PFAS levels to all residents of this state who receive
water from such public water system.
(f) The notice to residents required under subsection (e) of this Code section shall:
(1) Be sent through the United States Postal Service to the address at which each resident
is receiving water from the public water system;
(2) Include a brochure that the division shall develop explaining PFAS and including a
chart showing the MCLs;
(3) Inform the resident that PFAS in excess of MCLs have been detected in the resident's
water supply; and
(4) Provide the exact level of each PFAS chemical that exceeds the MCLs."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1501 would require Georgia's Environmental Protection Division to post PFAS chemical levels for every public water system online and require water utilities to notify residents when legal limits are exceeded.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia does not currently require a public website tracking PFAS (a group of manmade chemicals sometimes called 'forever chemicals') levels in drinking water systems. This bill would add a new section to Georgia law requiring the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources to build and maintain such a website, listing PFAS levels for every public water system in the state alongside the legal limits, called maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
The bill sets specific MCLs for six PFAS chemicals or chemical mixtures, measured in parts per trillion or by a combined 'hazard index.' The division must review these limits against federal Environmental Protection Agency standards every year and report findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31. If the division finds PFAS levels exceeding the MCLs in a water system, it must notify the water utility, which must then mail notice to every affected resident, including a brochure explaining PFAS and the exact levels detected.
### What it does
- Requires the Environmental Protection Division to create and maintain a public website showing PFAS levels for every public water system in Georgia.
- Sets specific maximum contaminant levels (legal limits) for six PFAS chemicals or chemical combinations, measured in parts per trillion or a hazard index.
- Requires the division to review these limits annually against federal standards and report findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31 each year.
- Requires the division to notify a water utility when PFAS levels exceed the legal limit in its water system.
- Requires water utilities that receive such notice to mail notice to every resident served by the affected system, including a brochure and the exact PFAS levels detected.
### Who it affects
Georgians who get water from public water systems, water utility companies that operate those systems, and the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources, which must build the website, monitor PFAS levels, and issue annual reports to the General Assembly.
### Why it matters
Residents would gain a public online tool to check PFAS levels in their tap water and would receive mailed notice if their water exceeds safety thresholds, giving them information they currently may not have access to about chemicals linked to health risks.
### Key provisions
- Subsection (a) defines key terms including 'PFAS,' 'hazard index,' 'maximum contaminant level,' and 'public water system.'
- Subsection (b) sets MCLs for PFOA and PFOS at 4.0 parts per trillion, PFHxS and PFNA at 10.0 parts per trillion, GenX chemicals at 10.0 parts per trillion, and a hazard index MCL of 1 for certain mixtures.
- Subsection (b) also requires the division to annually compare its MCLs to federal EPA standards and report findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31.
- Subsection (c) requires the division to build a public website with a prominent link, a chart of MCL thresholds, and PFAS levels for every water system where available.
- Subsection (d) requires the division to promptly notify a water utility when PFAS levels in its system exceed the MCL.
- Subsection (e) requires the water utility to promptly notify all residents served by that system after receiving such notice.
- Subsection (f) specifies notice must be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service, include a division-created brochure explaining PFAS, and state the exact levels detected.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Eric Gisler, Spencer Frye, Dewey McClain, Long Tran, Mary Oliver, Debbie Buckner
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73867
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1501.md?full=1