fort knox

DRINKING WATER

The Army is committed to ensuring quality drinking water is provided to its Soldiers, family members, and DoD civilian workforce. The Army and other purveyors (e.g. Privatized water system partners) perform proactive sampling on its drinking water systems for PFOS and/or PFOA IAW Army Policy.

On April 26, 2024, the EPA published a final federal National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing drinking water standards for certain PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This rule applies to public drinking water systems and includes enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) to include 4 ppt for PFOS and 4 ppt for PFOA. The rule provides five years for regulated public water systems to comply. The Army continues to collect necessary sampling information and is taking actions to ensure compliance with the required 5-year timeframe. For the latest Drinking Water sampling results, please see the OSD PFAS On-base drinking water database https://www.acq.osd.mil/eie/eer/ecc/pfas/data/onbase-drinking-water.html

Type of drinking water systems: privatized
For questions contact: Public Affairs
Office phone number: (502) 624-3051
Office e-mail address: patrick.k.hodges.civ@army.mil

CLEANUP ACTIONS

The Army follows the federal cleanup law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 (also known as “Superfund”), and long-standing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for all chemicals in its cleanup program, including PFAS.  In collaboration with federal and state regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders, the Army follows the CERCLA process to investigate a release resulting from Army activities and to assess the appropriate cleanup actions based on risk to human health and the environment.

When the Army identifies that it has impacted drinking water above 50 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS/PFOA (individually or combined) on or off an installation, it takes appropriate actions to provide alternate water and ensure drinking water levels are promptly reduced (for example, by providing bottled water, shutting down wells, installing treatment systems or connecting to municipal water).

Final reports, points of contact, and/or site specific web links will be updated on this page as cleanup actions progress.

CERCLA is a complex, multi-phase process that provides a consistent, science-based approach across the nation for cleanup and may take years to complete. Read more about CERCLA and the phased approach here

CERCLA INFORMATION

Current CERCLA Phase: RI Underway

DOCUMENTS

Final Preliminary Assessment and Site Inspection of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Fort Knox, Kentucky (May 2022)
Appendices available upon request.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information, contact: Public Affairs

Office phone number: (502) 624-3051

Office e-mail address:  patrick.k.hodges.civ@army.mil

Last reviewed/updated: 7/8/2025