New Forever Chemical Rules Could Escalate Water Bills, US Cities Warn
With the EPA’s first-ever regulation of PFAS chemicals in the water supply expected soon, local officials say they need more funding to comply.
A geologist collects samples of treated Lake Michigan water in a laboratory at a water treatment plant in Wilmette, Illinois.
Photographer: Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Hastings, Minnesota, is staring down a $69 million price tag for three new treatment plants to remove PFAS chemicals from its water supply, ahead of new US federal regulations limiting the amount of so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water — which could come as early as this month.
For a town of less than 22,000 people with an operation and maintenance budget of $3 million a year for its water system, the project amounts to a “budget buster,” says city administrator Dan Wietecha. Operation and maintenance costs for the new plants could add as much as $1 million to the tab each year.