Useful official link

Open Delaware Drinking Water Watch to look up reported public-system PFAS results.

What PFAS are

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of human-made chemicals used in certain industrial processes and consumer products. Some persist in the environment and can remain in the human body. “PFAS” is a family name, not one chemical. Different compounds have different uses, detection histories and health evidence. The presence of a PFAS result should be read against the relevant state or federal drinking-water standard, the reporting date and the specific compound measured.

Source note Delaware Division of Public Health PFAS overview

What Delaware law requires

The Forever Chemicals Mandatory Reporting Act took effect January 15, 2026. It directs the state to make PFAS levels in public drinking-water systems available through a public-facing website, to show how results compare with maximum contaminant levels and to indicate when results are not yet available. Delaware’s Division of Public Health says systems should have a PFAS result by 2027. That is a public-system reporting framework; it is not a guarantee that every private well has been sampled.

Source note Delaware Code, Title 16, Chapter 30R · DPH implementation page

How to check a public-water result

Open Drinking Water Watch. Search for the public water system by name or use the state’s PFAS page to find the database. Confirm that the system serves the property in question. Review the sampling date, compound, units, result and applicable maximum contaminant level. If the result is unavailable, the state says it will be posted when available and that every system should have a result by 2027. For a result above an applicable MCL, DPH says it notifies the utility and the utility must notify affected customers by mail.

Source note DPH: PFAS in Delaware Public Drinking Water

Detection is not the same as an exceedance

A maximum contaminant level (MCL) is a legally enforceable drinking-water limit. A laboratory may detect a substance at a level below the MCL; that is different from a result above the limit. Conversely, “no result available” does not mean “not detected.” Compare like units and the correct compound, and avoid combining results from different sampling dates into one number. Delaware’s resident brochure lists state MCLs for PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX) and a hazard index for mixtures.

Private wells are a separate question

Public-system reporting does not automatically cover private wells. Delaware estimates that about one in five residents uses private drinking-water wells. The state’s agencies recommend regular testing and, as of September 2026, offer a statewide no-cost sampling and laboratory-analysis program for private-well households, including PFAS. See the private-well guide before relying on a public-system result for a well-served home.

Source note DNREC PFAS and drinking water · September 14, 2026 state announcement