January 2026 should have marked a turning point in protecting the quality of the water we drink every day. Instead, for Italy, there is a postponement. With the definitive approval of the 2026 Budget Law (Law no. 199/2025), our country has in fact introduced a six-month extension for the entry into force of the new, more stringent limits on PFAS in drinking water. The obligation, initially scheduled for January 12, 2026, has thus been postponed to July 2026.
Let’s talk once again about the so-called “eternal chemical substances”, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds that persist in the environment for decades and accumulate in our organism, with potentially devastating effects; they are in fact endocrine disruptors and probable carcinogens recognized by the international scientific community.
What do the new European limits on PFAS provide?
The 2020 European directive, which Italy implemented with legislative decree 102 of 2025, introduces decidedly more stringent parameters than in the past. The new limit values provide for a maximum concentration of 0.10 micrograms per liter for the sum of some specific PFAS and 0.50 micrograms per liter for the total PFAS present.
They are among the strictest thresholds in the world, designed to drastically raise the level of protection of the population. Yet, just when they were supposed to become operational, in Italy a time shift was foreseen which allows more time for technical and organizational adaptation to water service managers, health authorities and analysis laboratories.
The checks do not stop, this is true, and monitoring continues in various Italian regions. But the substance is that for other months we will continue to live with less protective thresholds, while the rest of Europe has already started the journey towards higher standards.
It’s not just about bureaucracy. Behind this extension there is a story that we know all too well. In Veneto, the Miteni case has left a legacy of contamination that cannot be erased with a sentence. In Spinetta Marengo, Piedmont, production sites continue to operate. The production of PFAS continues, while remediation is slow and the territories remain exposed.
Postponing is never a neutral choice. It means establishing priorities, deciding who to protect first. And when you choose to give economic operators time rather than speed up the protection of citizens, you are already taking a position.
It is always the same people who pay the price for these expectations: those who live in contaminated areas, those who drink potentially risky water, those who have been waiting for concrete interventions for years. Environmental associations and local committees reacted with harsh criticism, calling for the immediate application of the new thresholds. They are right to worry. As often happens, the responsibility for the lack of timeliness falls on the most vulnerable communities.
Europe moves forward, Italy stalls
The contrast with what is happening in the rest of the European Union is clear. Since 12 January, Member States have started harmonized and systematic monitoring of PFAS in drinking water, with precise reporting obligations to the European Commission. Immediate actions are envisaged if the limits are exceeded: closure of contaminated wells, specific treatments, limitations in the use of water.
Transparency towards citizens is a pillar of this community strategy. The goal stated by Commissioner Jessika Roswall is to rapidly identify and combat PFAS to protect public health. A determination that clashes with our extension.
The point is not just technical. Certainly, adapting water networks and control systems requires time and resources. But precisely for this reason we need courageous choices and structural investments, not last minute patch-ups.
Citizens deserve clear answers and rapid action. And above all, they deserve truly safe water.
