Georgia CommonsHB 1501: Environmental Protection Division; maintain a public website for monitoring levels of certain contaminants in public water systems
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 6, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
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.