Water Quality

France Ecological Planning Council Announces 2026 Measures on PFAS and Plastics

France’s Ecological Planning Council has outlined 2026 priorities including a ban on PFAS in clothing and cosmetics, launch of a "Plan Plastique" to help meet EU plastic packaging recycling targets by 2030, and new rules for sewage sludge management. These signals point to tightening French expectations on PFAS use and plastic packaging, with future implementing measures likely to increase compliance pressure on textiles, cosmetics and packaging supply chains.

25 May 2026, 20:27vie-publique.frFrance

PFAS Precursors Show Synergistic Air–Water Interface Adsorption, Increasing Retention in Unsaturated Soils

A May 2026 Environmental Science & Technology study finds that key PFAS precursors, including 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate and perfluorohexanesulfonamido propylamine, undergo strong and synergistic adsorption at the air–water interface in unsaturated soils, greatly increasing their retention compared with PFOA. These results suggest that vadose-zone PFAS precursor reservoirs may be larger and more persistent than many current transport models assume, signalling that regulators and operators may need to revisit conceptual site models and risk assessments for contaminated sites.

25 May 2026, 20:26pubs.acs.orgGlobal

Netherlands House Motion Urges Germany and EU to Phase Down PFAS Discharges into the Rhine

A Dutch parliamentary motion calls on the government to press Germany and EU partners to phase down PFAS discharges from the Rhine towards zero and address the resulting extra water purification costs for the Netherlands. This signals rising political pressure for tighter cross-border PFAS and water-quality controls, which could translate into stricter discharge limits and higher compliance expectations for industrial emitters and water utilities.

25 May 2026, 18:24zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlandsGermanyEuropean Union

Netherlands: Wetterskip Fryslân Updates Water Board Regulation on Discharges and Household Wastewater Limits

On 22 May 2026, regional water authority Wetterskip Fryslân brought an updated water board regulation into force that tightens household wastewater emission limits and standardises permit and notification requirements for a broad range of discharges and water-related works. This raises the compliance bar for industrial, municipal and agricultural operators in the region by demanding more detailed data in permit applications and pre-notifications and by clarifying when and how discharges to surface waters and on-site treatment systems are allowed.

25 May 2026, 18:24zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Finland Ministry of the Environment Consults on Environmental Protection Act Amendments for Urban Waste Water Directive Implementation

Finland has launched a public consultation on draft amendments to the Environmental Protection Act and related laws to implement the recast EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. The proposals would tighten requirements on municipal wastewater treatment, stormwater management and sensitive areas for nutrients and micropollutants, signalling future investment and compliance demands for utilities and large dischargers ahead of a planned bill submission in autumn 2026.

25 May 2026, 18:23lausuntopalvelu.fiFinland

Environment Agency Issues RPS 325 On Using Unbound Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate In Construction

The Environment Agency has issued RPS 325 setting conditions under which unbound incinerator bottom ash aggregate can be used as construction aggregate in England from May 2026 without normally triggering enforcement for missing environmental permits. Operators in waste and construction must review designs, locations and recordkeeping where IBAA is used so they can rely on this position while controlling tonnages, distances from receptors and future changes when the RPS is reviewed.

25 May 2026, 18:22gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Netherlands – Waterschap Brabantse Delta Adopts Second Partial Revision of 2024 Water Board Ordinance on Discharges and Groundwater

In May 2026 Waterschap Brabantse Delta adopted a second partial revision of its 2024 water board ordinance, setting explicit emission limits for remediation and dewatering discharges and strengthening groundwater monitoring and reporting obligations across its catchment. This materially raises compliance expectations for remediation projects, industrial sites and larger groundwater users in the Brabantse Delta area, requiring tighter control of key pollutants, use of prescribed NEN methods and closer alignment with permits under the Dutch Omgevingswet framework.

25 May 2026, 18:22zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Netherlands NEN Opens Consultation On Draft NEN 9405:2026 Macrophyte Survey Methods Until 1 August 2026

The Netherlands Standardization Institute has opened consultation on draft NEN 9405:2026, which defines macrophyte survey methods for assessing ecological water quality under the EU Water Framework Directive, with comments accepted until 1 August 2026. Water authorities, consultants and laboratories should review the proposed zone definitions and methods now, as they are likely to shape future monitoring protocols and data comparability for WFD reporting in Dutch surface waters.

25 May 2026, 18:21normontwerpen.nen.nlNetherlandsEuropean Union

European Parliament Debates Baltic Sea Multiannual Fisheries Plan and Pollution Pressures (Report A10-0121/2026)

In May 2026 the European Parliament debated Isabella Lövin’s report on the Baltic Sea multiannual plan, highlighting collapsing cod and herring stocks and mounting chemical pollution including PCBs, dioxins and PFAS ahead of a plenary vote. While not yet a binding measure, the debate signals potential tightening of EU fisheries and contaminant controls in the Baltic, with ecosystem-based rebuilding trajectories likely to shape future obligations for coastal states and operators.

25 May 2026, 18:20europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

EPA Announces Over $9 Million for Kansas to Address PFAS in Drinking Water

In May 2026, US EPA Region 7 awarded over $9 million in Emerging Contaminants grant funding to Kansas to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities test and treat PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water. This targeted funding, together with EPA’s PFAS OUT initiative and proposed PFOA and PFOS drinking water rules, signals sustained federal support and tighter future compliance expectations for water systems managing PFAS risks.

25 May 2026, 18:20epa.govUnited States

EU Commission Issues Guidance on Water Framework Directive Permitting for Mining and Other Projects

In May 2026 the European Commission issued detailed guidance on how to apply the EU Water Framework Directive and related directives when permitting new and existing projects, with a particular focus on mining and metal processing activities. This clarifies how regulators can use new flexibilities and exemptions while still protecting water quality, helping critical raw material and other strategic projects navigate permitting with clearer expectations on chemical status, pollutant controls, and long-term compliance timelines.

25 May 2026, 17:14environment.ec.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

European Commission Issues Guidance on Applying EU Water Laws to Mining and Critical Raw Materials Permits

In May 2026 the European Commission issued non-binding guidance (C(2026)3216) clarifying how EU water laws, especially the Water Framework Directive, should be applied in permitting new and existing projects, with a strong focus on mining and critical raw materials. The guidance gives regulators more clarity and flexibility to authorise strategic projects without breaching non-deterioration obligations on water bodies, signalling that mining, metals and other green-transition investments may see faster, more predictable water-related permitting while still facing strict chemical-status safeguards.

25 May 2026, 17:13environment.ec.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

Wisconsin NRB To Consider Scope for New Subsistence Fishing and Wild Rice Water Classifications

In May 2026 the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board is scheduled to consider a scope statement for rulemaking to establish designated use classifications for subsistence fishing and wild rice waters under NR 102 and NR 104. This early step signals possible future changes to how these waters are classified and protected, potentially affecting water quality standards and permit conditions for facilities discharging to or managing them.

25 May 2026, 17:11dnr.wisconsin.govUnited States

Missouri HB2270 Proposes PFAS Firefighting Foam Reporting and 2028 Sale Ban

In May 2026, Missouri’s HB2270 advanced to committee, proposing state rules and a 2028 phase-out for PFAS-containing firefighting foams. If enacted, manufacturers, airports, defence users and facility operators would face new reporting, recall and product reformulation obligations to prevent PFAS foam discharges to state waters.

25 May 2026, 17:10documents.house.mo.govUnited States

Environment Agency Secures Conviction After Digestate Spill Kills Over 1,600 Fish in River Ottery

In May 2026 a Cornish farmer was convicted and ordered to pay £3,765 after a digestate spill from his farm polluted the River Ottery, killing an estimated 1,610 fish under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. The case highlights the Environment Agency’s readiness to prosecute poor slurry and digestate management, signalling that farms and biogas operations must strengthen containment and rapid incident reporting to avoid serious environmental damage and financial penalties.

25 May 2026, 17:10gov.ukUnited Kingdom

UK Office for Environmental Protection Confirms Dame Helen Ghosh as New Chair

The UK Office for Environmental Protection has confirmed Dame Helen Ghosh as its new Chair from 1 June 2026, with OEP and government leaders using the announcement to underline that statutory 2030 environmental targets and Environmental Improvement Plan ambitions in England and Northern Ireland are currently off track. This leadership change and accompanying messaging signal continued scrutiny of how public bodies and, indirectly, regulated operators will deliver credible improvements on water regulation, nutrient pollution and wider environmental commitments ahead of 2030.

25 May 2026, 15:51theoep.org.ukUnited Kingdom

Illinois EPA Reaffirms State PFAS Drinking Water Standards and Deadlines After Federal Rollback

Illinois EPA has confirmed that Illinois’ PFAS drinking water and groundwater standards remain in force, and that state PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels and monitoring obligations for community water systems are unaffected by the Trump Administration’s rollback of federal PFAS drinking water requirements. For utilities and PFAS‑exposed businesses this means Illinois compliance planning must still assume initial PFAS monitoring by April 2027 and full MCL compliance by April 2029, preserving the original state timeline and risk profile regardless of changes at federal level.

25 May 2026, 15:48epa.illinois.govUnited States

New Hampshire Legislature Sets Conference Committee Hearing on PFAS Agriculture and Drinking Water Bill HB1275

New Hampshire lawmakers have scheduled a 26 May 2026 conference committee hearing on PFAS bill HB1275, which would grant farmers PFAS-related liability protection, tighten biosolids land-application controls, adjust PFAS product exemptions, and redefine the PFAS drinking water standard. If enacted, the measure would introduce new PFAS limits and testing duties from 2027–2028 while shielding agricultural operators from certain contamination claims, so farms, biosolids handlers, and water utilities should monitor the conference outcome and prepare for potential changes to land-application and drinking water compliance strategies.

25 May 2026, 15:48gc.nh.govUnited States

Lithuania Adopts Law XV-627 Amending Environmental Impact Assessment Law and Project Annexes

Lithuania has adopted Law XV-627 updating its Environmental Impact Assessment law and project annexes from January 2026, including new screening rules and thresholds for inland waterway and dredging projects. These changes tighten and clarify when a full EIA is required, align procedures with EU critical raw materials and Natura 2000 requirements, and could bring more waterway and infrastructure projects into formal assessment with implications for permitting timelines and project design.

25 May 2026, 15:48e-tar.ltLithuania

France – Bourgogne‑Franche‑Comté Opens 2026 Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Consultations

Regional authorities in Bourgogne‑Franche‑Comté have opened institutional and public consultations on the draft 2026 revision of nitrate vulnerable zones across the Rhône‑Méditerranée, Seine‑Normandie and Loire‑Bretagne river basins, ahead of new zoning entering into force on 1 September 2026. This will determine where nitrate action programmes apply from 2026 onwards, so agricultural operators and their advisers in affected areas should review the draft maps and consider engaging in the consultations while windows remain open.

25 May 2026, 15:47bourgogne-franche-comte.developpement-durable.gouv.frFrance