Adds new Part 9, PFAS Mitigation, to Article 9 of GS Chapter 130A, with the purpose of providing funding to support the mitigation of the impacts of environmental contamination due to PFAS on local public water and wastewater systems. Establishes the PFAS Mitigation Fund within the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to support statewide efforts to detect, reduce, mitigate, and prevent exposure to PFAS and to support scientific research and technology development related to PFAS removal, treatment, monitoring, and precursor identification. Specifies that the fund consists of any funds appropriated by the NCGA and grants from federal agencies or other non-State entities. Allows the Fund to be used by the State Water Infrastructure Authority (SWIA) to provide grants to units of local government operating public water or wastewater treatment systems for: (1) PFAS sampling and monitoring in drinking water, wastewater, surface water, and groundwater; (2) installation or upgrade of water treatment technologies for PFAS removal; and (3) emergency response and remediation of PFAS contamination in soil, surface water, and groundwater. Gives priority to public water systems and public wastewater systems (1) for which contamination from PFAS has caused the greatest impacts on public health and the environment and (2) that are or meet the criteria to be categorized as a distressed unit.  Requires SWIA to report annually as a part of the report required by GS 159G-72 regarding projects funded under this provision. Makes conforming changes to GS 159G-71. Appropriates $56 million in recurring funds for 2025-26 from the General Fund to DEQ for the Fund.

Appropriates $14 million in recurring funds for 2025-26 from the General Fund to the UNC North Carolina Collaboratory to support scientific research on PFAS conducted by or in collaboration with public or nonprofit academic institutions, including any of the five specified issues. Requires consultation with affected stakeholders, scientific experts, and State and local officials to ensure funding is targeted to research in areas of highest environmental and public health impact. Applies GS 116-255(c) to these funds. Requires the Collaboratory to include in their report under GS 116-256 documentation of its use of the funds and updates on the research funded by this section.

Enacts new GS 130A-315.1 setting out maximum contaminant levels for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorononanoic acid, Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid, Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. Requires the adoption of rules to establish a compliance schedule with respect to these levels for all public water systems.

Requires DEQ, in consultation with the North Carolina Collaboratory, by October 1, 2025, to develop: (1) science-based PFAS concentration limits for commonly detected PFAS, which must be used to establish monitoring, permitting, and pollution reduction requirements for direct dischargers to surface waters and significant industrial users ("regulated entities") as provided in this section; (2) source reduction and treatment requirements to be imposed, including requiring regulated entities to do one or more of the specified four actions; and (3) a compliance schedule of up to 36 months to begin no later than January 1, 2026, for regulated entities to achieve the requirements. Requires all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and pretreatment permits, as applicable, for regulated entities subject to this section to include enforceable limits or conditions for PFAS discharges based on the established concentration limits and available treatment options, as determined by DEQ. Sets out allowable exemptions. Makes this section applicable only to the following regulated entities: (1) significant industrial users that discharge wastewater containing PFAS compounds to a POTW and have exceedances of the established PFAS concentration limits and (2) direct dischargers that discharge wastewater containing PFAS compounds to surface waters of the state under an NPDES permit, and have exceedances of the established PFAS concentration limits. Requires the Environmental Management Commission to adopt temporary and permanent rules to implement the provisions of this section and allows DEQ to issue interim guidance pending rule adoption.

Includes a severability clause.