Japan’s MOE to Add PFOS and PFOA to Water Quality Standards under the Waterworks Act, Effective April 2026

On June 30, 2025, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment promulgated two ministerial ordinances to strengthen the regulation of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), organofluorine compounds found in drinking water. These ordinances will take effect on April 1, 2026:

• Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Ordinance on Water Quality Standards (Ministry of the Environment Ordinance No. 19 of June 30, 2025)
• Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Regulations of the Waterworks Act (Ministry of the Environment Ordinance No. 20 of June 30, 2025)