Facts · drinking water · updated July 2026
PFAS in tap water: the facts, standards and developments
Small amounts of PFAS can occur in Dutch tap water. Dutch drinking water meets the statutory standard and, according to the RIVM, can simply be drunk. At the same time, the RIVM advises reducing exposure to PFAS further wherever possible. On this page we keep track of the key facts, standards and developments concerning PFAS in Dutch drinking water.
What is the current situation with PFAS in Dutch tap water?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a collective name for thousands of chemicals that break down with great difficulty and can therefore remain in the environment for a very long time.
PFAS can end up in sources of drinking water via soil, surface water and groundwater, among other routes.
According to the RIVM, small amounts of PFAS can occur in Dutch drinking water. The amount varies depending, among other things, on the source from which the drinking water is made. Drinking water from groundwater contains on average less PFAS than drinking water produced from surface water.
For drinking water alone, average exposure to PFAS is below the health-based limit value. On average, people in the Netherlands take in more PFAS through food than through drinking water.
According to the RIVM, Dutch tap water can therefore simply be drunk.
Which standards apply to PFAS in drinking water?
Since 2026, a statutory standard of 100 nanograms per litre (ng/L) for the sum of twenty PFAS has applied.
In addition, the RIVM advises a health-based guideline value of:
4.4 ng/L expressed in PFOA equivalents (PEQ).
These two values cannot be compared directly with each other.
The statutory standard looks at the sum of twenty PFAS. The health-based guideline value converts various PFAS into PFOA equivalents on the basis of their relative potency.
It is therefore not correct to simply state that 4.4 ng/L is a version of the statutory standard of 100 ng/L that is more than twenty times stricter. The calculation methods differ.
The development of PFAS in Dutch drinking water
October 2022: RIVM recommends lower concentrations
The RIVM advises reducing the amount of PFAS in drinking water made from river water even further.
In more than half of the measurements examined for drinking water from river water, the concentration is above the health-based guideline value. At the same time, the RIVM stresses that drinking tap water remains safe.
July 2025: national blood study on PFAS
The RIVM publishes the results of a national blood study. In almost all the people studied in the Netherlands, several PFAS are found in the blood.
Exposure to PFAS does not come only from drinking water. On average, food makes a considerably larger contribution.
January 2026: European drinking water standard comes into force
From 2026, a statutory drinking water standard of a maximum of 100 ng/L applies to the sum of twenty PFAS.
Dutch drinking water meets this statutory standard.
In addition, the RIVM advises using the health-based guideline value of 4.4 ng/L PEQ to assess the presence of PFAS in drinking water.
April 2026: discussion about PFAS and home filters
Radar looks at PFAS in tap water and the use of water filters at home.
Experts from the RIVM and KWR state that an additional water filter is not necessary in order to drink Dutch tap water safely. They also point out how important it is to maintain filters properly.
At the same time, various filter technologies can demonstrably reduce PFAS. The relevant question is therefore not only whether a filter can reduce PFAS, but above all which PFAS have been tested, how much is reduced and up to what filter capacity that performance has been demonstrated.
June 2026: PFAS will remain a point of concern for decades
In an exploratory modelling study, the RIVM investigates how PFAS concentrations in the Rhine and Meuse may develop if PFAS emissions are strongly restricted.
According to these calculations, even with far-reaching European restrictions it could still take roughly thirty years before additional treatment for the PFAS studied is no longer needed.
This underlines how important it is to prevent PFAS from ending up in the environment and in our drinking water sources.
Can you filter PFAS out of tap water?
Activated carbon, ion exchange and reverse osmosis, among other methods, are used for this.
How effective a water filter is depends, among other things, on the filter material used, the specific PFAS and the amount of water that has already passed through the filter. The presence of activated carbon alone is therefore not enough to determine how well a filter reduces PFAS.
If you want to filter PFAS out of tap water, you are well advised to look at independent laboratory tests of the complete filter.
Read our in-depth study: filtering PFAS out of tap water, what really works?
Do you need to filter Dutch tap water because of PFAS?
No. An additional water filter is not necessary in order to drink Dutch tap water safely.
According to the RIVM, Dutch tap water can simply be drunk.
If you want to limit your personal exposure to PFAS via drinking water further, you can choose to filter your tap water additionally.
That is a personal choice.
If you do choose to, don't look only at claims such as 'filters PFAS'. Check whether the complete filter has been independently tested, which PFAS were studied and up to how many litres the reduction has actually been demonstrated.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is there PFAS in Dutch tap water?
Yes. Small amounts of PFAS can occur in Dutch tap water. The amount varies depending, among other things, on the source from which the drinking water is produced.
Can I simply drink Dutch tap water?
Yes. According to the RIVM, Dutch tap water can simply be drunk. Average exposure to PFAS through drinking water alone is below the health-based limit value.
How much PFAS may drinking water contain?
Since 2026, a statutory standard of 100 ng/L for the sum of twenty PFAS has applied. In addition, the RIVM advises a health-based guideline value of 4.4 ng/L expressed in PFOA equivalents. These two values are calculated in different ways and are therefore not directly comparable.
Do we mainly take in PFAS through tap water?
No. On average, food contributes more to exposure to PFAS than drinking water does.
Can you filter PFAS out of tap water?
Yes. Activated carbon, ion exchange and reverse osmosis can reduce PFAS. How well a specific water filter does this has to be shown by independent laboratory tests. Read our in-depth study: filtering PFAS out of tap water, what really works?