State environmental regulators are offering emergency drinking water for 50 additional households relying on private wells in the town of Peshtigo.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made the move after issuing new drinking water advisories based on updated health guidelines for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in groundwater.

In January, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services updated its recommended health-based standard for six PFAS chemicals.

The updated limits are in line with drinking water standards finalized last year by the Environmental Protection Agency. Under the EPA’s more stringent limits, more households had wells with PFAS levels that exceeded thresholds considered safe to drink.

Prior to the change, the DNR had tested more than 400 private wells in the town during 2020 and 2021 for PFAS stemming from Tyco Fire Products’ use of firefighting foam at its fire training facility in Marinette. Of wells tested, the DNR offered emergency water supplies to 32 private well owners.

The agency is asking Tyco and its parent company Johnson Controls International to review private wells that they tested to determine whether any exceed the state’s updated health guidelines and offer safe drinking water if PFAS levels are higher than the new thresholds.

On Wednesday, the DNR also received unanimous approval from the Natural Resources Board to begin crafting a rule to set groundwater standards for the six PFAS chemicals. The move triggers a 30-month timeline to establish limits for the chemicals.

A 2017 law passed by GOP lawmakers forced the DNR to abandon groundwater standards for PFAS in 2023 after previous attempts to set limits in groundwater failed. The law known as the REINS Act aimed to limit excessive compliance costs of regulations.