Construction Dewatering Pumps PFAS-Laden Groundwater into Urban Storm Networks

When construction projects pump PFAS-contaminated groundwater, it may mistakenly end up in city drainage systems

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 - Dewatering is the process of getting rid of groundwater from building sites, which is commonly necessary for urban development projects. Water pumps may not only be pumping water in places where PFAS has contaminated the local aquifer, which is commonly the case because of the usage of firefighting foam, industrial runoff, or landfill leachate. PFAS, which are sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down easily, can go into the storm drains along with the water that is taken out. After that, they are sent to local rivers, lakes, or treatment plants that aren't meant to filter them out. Most of the time, construction businesses don't know that the water they're pumping is dirty. Some cities are starting to mandate pre-discharge testing, though, as PFAS testing becomes more common and people become more worried. Lawyers who deal with PFAS water cancer cases are starting to pay attention, especially as stormwater runoff is becoming a more well-known way to be exposed. More and more PFAS cancer lawsuits are now including claims that building work messed with groundwater.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) said in a report from 2024 that building dewatering is now thought to be a new way that PFAS can move about in cities. The survey indicated that pumped groundwater at about one-third of the large construction sites evaluated in many urban areas had higher levels of PFAS. In other cases, such levels were higher than what the federal government says is safe for drinking water. The chemicals usually come from deep layers of soil that have been exposed to PFAS for decades through spills, foam training exercises, or trash disposal. When construction starts and water is pushed out of these layers, the pollutants are basically mixed up and delivered into storm systems, which usually drain straight into surface waters. Many cities don't require PFAS testing before dewatering discharge, which makes this problem even worse. They just assume that the groundwater is pure. This idea is becoming less and less true, especially in older industrial areas or communities close to military posts and airports, which are two prominent sources of PFAS legacy pollution.

As additional information comes to light, building companies and city planners may need to reassess how they deal with dewatering, especially in areas where PFAS is known to be a problem. There are a few options: treating the water on site, containing it, or sending it to special facilities that can remove PFAS before it is released. Some communities are already changing their permits to require PFAS testing, while others are starting mapping initiatives to find areas of contaminated groundwater before giving the go-ahead for new buildings. These reforms could entail increased expenses for the building industry, but they also shield it from having to pay for things that go wrong in the future. If people who live downstream from a development project find PFAS in their tap water or streams, they could sue.

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