PFAS Treatment System Costs Are Making Suburban Water Utilities Raise Their Rates

Utilities are having a hard time meeting federal safety regulations, which is making water prices go up in suburban areas because of expensive new PFAS filtration systems

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - As the federal government makes rules about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) stricter, water companies in suburbs all over the United States are letting people know that their water rates are about to go up a lot. Many of these municipalities have only lately found PFAS contamination in their water sources. Now they have to pay to install advanced filtration systems to meet new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria. PFAS, which are sometimes called "forever chemicals," are linked to a number of major health problems, such as cancer, problems with reproduction, thyroid problems, and problems with the immune system. It is hard and expensive to get the contaminants out of drinking water. Specialized treatment methods such as granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange, or high-pressure reverse osmosis are needed. As utilities work to put in or improve these systems, suburban homeowners--who are already dealing with rising housing expenses and inflation--are seeing their water bills go up every month to pay for the work. Legal experts said that some people are getting help from PFAS in drinking water cancer lawyer teams to look at their legal options, especially in areas where PFAS pollution came from adjacent military or industrial sites. If the people who caused the pollution can be found, the people who were impacted may be able to file a PFAS in drinking water cancer lawsuit to get money from the polluters instead of having to pay for the damage themselves.

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) issued a study in 2025 that said the cost of treating PFAS in suburban water systems may range from $5 million to more than $100 million, depending on the size of the system, the extent of pollution, and the technology used. The new enforceable guidelines from the EPA, which were approved in 2024, say that PFAS levels in drinking water must be brought down to almost zero. Many utilities were not ready to fulfill these criteria. Smaller suburban districts are more sensitive to the financial hardship of upgrading treatment plants since they frequently have tiny tax bases and small customer pools. The federal government has promised more than $1 billion in infrastructure subsidies to help pay for the renovations, but many municipal authorities say that is not nearly enough to cover all of the work that needs to be done. In certain places, water bills are expected to go up by 20% to 40% over the next two years to pay for PFAS filtering, system upkeep, and long-term monitoring. The increases will put a lot of financial stress on many people, especially those who live on a fixed income. People are getting angrier and angrier about the situation because they don't understand why they should have to pay for pollution generated by chemical companies, military operations, or factories that are kilometers away. In response, some utilities are suing PFAS producers in class action lawsuits to get back the huge expenses of following the rules.

More Recent Federal Government Water Contamination Lawsuit News:

• PFAS Fingerprinting Technology Can Find Sources Of Contamination In Drinking Water That Are Specific To Certain Industries | 6/20/2025
• State Universities Look At PFAS In Campus Water As Students Complain About Health Issues | 6/20/2025
• Water From Emergency Relief Tanks Sent To Disaster Areas Had PFAS In It | 6/20/2025
• PFAS Contamination Spreads When Old Pipe Coatings Are Used To Fix Water Mains | 6/18/2025
• Homeowners Sue Builders For Putting In Plastic Plumbing Fixtures That Contain PFAS | 6/18/2025
• New EPA Rule Mandates Real-Time PFAS Monitoring in Municipal Water Systems by 2026 | 6/16/2025
• PFAS Found in Drinking Water Used in U.S. School Lunch Programs | 6/16/2025
• Researchers Develop PFAS-Absorbing Filters Using Mushroom Mycelium | 6/16/2025
• PFAS Found in U.S. Bottled Water Brands Even Though They Say They Are Clean | 6/15/2025
• PFAS-Contaminated Irrigation Water Puts The Safety Of Home-Grown Food At Risk | 6/15/2025
• Federal Housing Complexes Have Been Found To Have High Levels Of PFAS In Their Tap Water | 6/15/2025
• Older Fire Stations Designed Before 1990 Could Have Drains, Gear Lockers, and PFAS Floors | 5/20/2025
• Accidents Involving Firefighting Foam During Drills Blamed For Contaminating Municipal Water Systems With PFAS | 5/20/2025
• Insufficient Federal PFAS Health Monitoring Leaves Firefighters Ignorant Of Long-Term Cancer Risk | 5/20/2025
• Class Action Lawsuit Started On Behalf of Children Diagnosed with PFAS-Related Illnesses for Firefighters | 5/18/2025
• PFAS Foam Ban Directs Fire Departments Towards Incomplete and Expensive Transitions | 5/18/2025
• Runoff From Firefighting Foam Creates Environmental Risk In Nearby Streams and Aquifers | 5/18/2025
• Firehouse Kitchens and Dorms Might be Secondary PFAS Exposure Sites | 5/15/2025
• PFAS Settlements Might Not Cover Complete Treatment Cost for Firefighter-Linked Cancer Clusters | 5/15/2025
• Nationwide Study Reveals PFAS Contamination in More than 60% of Fire Training Ponds | 5/15/2025
• Rural Firefighters Sue Regarding Cancer Linked to Unchecked PFAS Foam Use | 5/13/2025
• Fire Station Soils Reveal Long-Term AFFF Leaching Into Groundwater | 5/13/2025
• Airport Crash Rescue Units Are Among the Most Heavily Exposed to Harmful Firefighting Chemicals | 5/13/2025
• Community Wells Close to Fire Training Ground Show Years of Unchecked PFAS Contamination | 4/21/2025
• Research Connects Increased Bladder Cancer Rates to Long-Term AFFF Exposure in Firefighters | 4/21/2025
• PFAS Contamination Lawsuits Target Fire Foam Manufacturers Over False Safety Claims | 4/21/2025
• New Blood Testing for Firefighters Might Indicate PFAS Exposure Background | 4/21/2025
• Insurance Companies Review Fire Department Coverage Using Legacy PFAS Foam | 4/21/2025
• Fire Academy Recruits Might Come Across Risky PFAS Levels During Training | 4/21/2025
• Retired Firefighters Demand Federal Payment for Cancer Cases Linked to PFAS | 4/20/2025
• Urban Firefighting Training Ground Named as PFAS Hotspot | 4/20/2025
• Legacy PFAS Foam Supplies Create Unfair Risk for Volunteer Fire Departments | 4/20/2025
• AFFF Foam and the Unspoken Risk at Fire Department Washing Stations | 4/20/2025
• Volunteer Firefighters Often Lack Protective Gear Against PFAS Exposure | 4/20/2025
• Practices for PFAS Foam Disposal Could Be Generating Secondary Water Contamination Risk | 4/20/2025
• How Climate Change Is Complicating PFAS Contamination | 3/15/2025
• Youngsters Consuming Contaminated School Water | 3/15/2025
• PFAS Are Still Legal Despite Their Known Hazards | 3/15/2025
• Seafood Safety And PFAS In The Fishing Industry | 3/11/2025
• The American Military's Part in Efforts at PFAS Remedial Action | 3/11/2025
• How successfully do home water filtration systems remove PFAS | 3/11/2025
• The Financial Cost Of PFAS Contamination Of Local Water Supplies | 3/10/2025
• Home Items Contributing to PFAS Water Contamination | 3/10/2025
• How PFAS Affects Fertility and Reproductive Health | 3/10/2025
• Effects of PFAS Contamination on Indigenous People | 3/9/2025
• Exposure to PFAS Chemicals And The Relationship to Autoimmune Diseases | 3/9/2025
• Landfills' Part in PFAS Contamination of Groundwater | 3/9/2025
• Firefighters Have Developed Cancer From Using Firefighting Foam | 11/21/2022
• Firefighters Have Developed Cancer From Using Firefighting Foam | 11/21/2022
• Part Two of Equipment Degreasers Containing Trichloroethylene Is At The Center Of The US Military's Water Contamination Crisis | 11/20/2022
• Equipment Degreasers Containing Trichloroethylene Is At The Center Of The US Military's Water Contamination Crisis Part One | 11/20/2022
• Tap Water Kidney Cancer Could Be Likely Caused By PFAS Chemical Contaminated | 11/17/2022
• Cancer Clusters May Occur Where PFAS Forever Chemical Are Manufacturered Or Used | 11/17/2022
• Newborn Babies Are Packed With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 11/14/2022
• California Sues 3M And Others For Water Contamination From Firefighting Foam | 11/13/2022
• PFAS Chemicals Found In Tap Water Of Communities Surrounding 400 Military Bases And Airports | 11/12/2022
• Burn Pits And Waste Disposal At Military Bases Contributed To Tap Water Pollution And Cancer | 11/8/2022
• Firefighting Foam Settlements Will Set A Precedent For PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits In The Future | 10/31/2022
• The Clean Water Act Failed To Protect People From PFAS Forever Chemicals In Americas Waterways | 10/25/2022
• People With Cancer May Hold 3M And Others Financially Accountable For Causing Their Disease And Death | 10/23/2022
• PFAS Water Contamination May Be Greatest On And Near US Military Installations That Use Firefighting Foam | 10/13/2022
• EWG Reports Multiple Studies Have Found PFAS Chemicals In Umbilical Cord Blood of Newborn Babies | 10/3/2022
• PFAS Water Contamination May Have Contaminated Every Military Base That Used Firefighting Foam | 10/2/2022
• PFAS Chemicals Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Childrens Clothing May Cause Cancer And Other Health Problems | 9/28/2022
• State Municipal Governments Must Tighten Water Safety Standards | 9/20/2022
• Water Contamination Is The Invisible Enemy At Military Bases | 9/20/2022
• PFAS Chemical Contamination Is Absolutely Everywhere Says A Prominent Environmental Chemist | 9/13/2022
• The US Air Force Identifies PFAS Chemicals From Firefighting Foam Contaminated Several Military Water Supplies | 9/12/2022
• The EPA Undertests and Underreports Levels of PFAS Forever Chemicals In Drinking Water | 8/1/2022
• Municipal Government Are On The Front Line In Fighting Local Tap Water Contamination | 7/27/2022
• PFAS Forever Chemical Are Not Diluted With Water And Leech Into The Nearest Water System Every Time It Rains | 7/17/2022
• Bottled Water Safety Is Getting The Attention of Lawmakers Looking to Reduce PFAS Forever Chemical In The Water Supply | 7/14/2022
• Passage of The Camp Lejeune Justice Act Could Take Months Longer Than Expected | 7/12/2022
• Most Marines And Civilians That Lived And Worked in The Area Are Unaware That Drinking Tap Water Caused Their Cancer | 7/9/2022
• Millions Who Lived On or Near Camp Lejeune And Other Military Bases Have Developed A Variety of Deadly Diseases | 7/6/2022
• A CDC Study Links Drinking Camp Lejeune Tap Water With Serious Birth Defects | 7/5/2022
• The EPA Has Lowered Its Tolerance For Acceptable Levels Of PFAS Forever Chemicals In Municipal Drinking Water To Nearly Zero | 6/27/2022
• Marine Combat Survivors Returned Home To Face A Silent But Deadly Enemy In Camp Lejeune Water Contamination | 6/23/2022
• The Camp Lejeune Justice Act Has Passed The Senate And Awaits The Signature of the President | 6/20/2022
• Massachusetts AG Sues 3M And Others For Destroying The Local Drinking Water Systems With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/16/2022
• 12 More Military Bases Show Elevated Levels Of PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/15/2022
• Dry Cleaning Chemicals Are Likely Carcinogenic According To The WHO | 6/13/2022
• Water Contamination Legislation Should Be A Higher Priority Than Gun Control | 6/10/2022
• Cancer Clusters Expose Dry Cleaning Solution As A Potential Source Of Tap Water Contamination | 6/8/2022
• Farms Near The Nation's 400 Military Bases Are Raising Crops And Livestock That Are Contaminated With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 6/6/2022
• There Are Many Ways To Ingest Carcinogenic PFAS Forever Chemical Besides Drinking Tap Water | 6/2/2022
• Thousands of Children Died At Camp Lejeune From Leukemia Because Their Mother Drank Tap Water While Pregnant | 5/31/2022
• Camp Lejeune Marine Veterans, Civilian Employees, And Their Families Should Undergo Cancer Testing | 5/30/2022
• Efforts To Remediate Troubled Tap Water Near Air Force Bases Is Too Little Too Late | 5/29/2022
• The Honoring Our Pact Act Will Acknowledge That Latent Cancers Are Service Related | 5/26/2022
• Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune Caused Stillborn Baby Deaths And Other Child Deaths That Were Left Unrecorded | 5/25/2022
• Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Has Helped To Shed Light On A Global Health Catastrophy | 5/23/2022
• Military Veterans From Camp Lejeune May Now File Suit Against The Department of Defense For Causing Their Family Illnesses | 5/20/2022
• Florida Senator Rubio Alleges The Government Covered Up Their Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Crimes And Must Be Held Accountable In A Court of Law | 5/18/2022
• The US Congress Has Known Since 2010 That The Drinking Water At Camp Lejeune Was Killing Marines And Their Families | 5/17/2022
• Marines From Camp Lejeune That Have Lost Children To Cancer From Toxic Forever Chemical Exposure Are Due Their Day In Court | 5/16/2022
• A Camp Lejeune Cemetary Is Called Baby Heaven Because So Many Children Have Died From Toxic Drinking Water | 5/11/2022
• One By One Each State, Municipality, And Other Government Sub-divisions Are Suing The Manufacturers of PFAS Forever Chemicals | 5/10/2022
• Firefighters With Prostate Cancer Sue 3M And Others For Failing To Warn Them | 5/7/2022
• Children Of Military Service Members May Have Been Harmed The Most By PFAS Forever Chemicals | 5/5/2022
• The City Of Portsmouth Files Suit Against 3M and Others For Contaminating The Ohio River | 5/3/2022
• More Legislation Is On The Way That Will Compensate Military Veterans And Firefighters Who Have Developed Job-Related Illnesses | 4/27/2022
• Another Lawsuit Filed Against a Municipal Drinking Water Treatment Plant For Being Polluted With Forever Chemicals | 4/25/2022
• Lawmakers Address Toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals By Writing Legislation That Is Pending Becoming Law | 4/22/2022
• One Study Finds Carcinogenic PFAS Chemicals Bioaccumulate In Beef And Dairy Products | 4/21/2022
• A Local Dry Cleaning Company May Have Polluted the Camp Lejeune Water Treatment Facilities With PFAS Forever Chemicals | 4/19/2022
• Burn Pits Are Identified As A Source Of Military Installation Drinking Water Contamination | 4/18/2022
• Young Families Exposed To Toxic Chemicals Are Fighting Back | 4/15/2022
• Cancer Clusters Indicate PFAS Forever Chemical Contamination | 4/14/2022
• 98% Of Americans Test Positive For Toxic Levels of Forever Chemicals | 4/13/2022
• Lawsuits Seek Lump Sum Monetary Compensation For Cancer And Birth Defects From Drinking Contaminated Drinking Water | 4/11/2022
• Studies Conclude That Unborn Children Were Injured When Pregnant Mothers Drank Contaminated Tap Water | 4/8/2022
• 3M To Be Held Accountable For Selling Products That Contain Forever Chemicals Claiming They Were Safe | 4/4/2022
• Mothers That Drink Tap Water During Pregnancy Risk Having Children Born With Birth Defects | 3/30/2022
• Elsworth Air Force Base Is Attempting To Provide Free Clean Water To Local Residents Poisoned By PFAS Chemicals | 3/28/2022
• Military Veterans Are Protesting To Draw Attention To Toxic Burn Pits And The Carcinogenic Firefighting Foam Used To Extinguish The Fires | 3/25/2022
• The Closing Of Military Bases Exposed Toxic Burn Pits And Forever Chemicals in Firefighting Foam | 3/23/2022
• Politicians Agree Camp Lejeune Service Members And Their Families Deserve The Right To Sue The Federal Government | 3/22/2022
• Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Sickened Thousands Of Young Military Families With Terminal Illnesses | 3/21/2022
• Lawmakers Have More Evidence To Help Water Contamination Cancer Families Get Their Day In Court | 3/17/2022
• The Staggering Scope Of Firefighting Foam Water Contamination | 3/14/2022
• The EPA Allocates A Record Amount of Money To Fix Lead Drinking Water Pipes Servicing Low-Income Communities | 3/10/2022
• The EPA Allocates A Record Amount of Money To Fix Lead Drinking Water Pipes Servicing Low-Income Communities | 3/10/2022
• Children Living Near Military Bases and Firefighting Stations Could Be At Risk Of Developing Cancer From The Drinking Water | 3/7/2022
• Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Survivors Could Get Their Day In Court | 3/6/2022
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act Is One Step Closer To Becoming A Reality | 3/5/2022
• County Governments Are Suing 3M For Failing To Warn Them of Forever Chemicals In Firefighting Foam | 3/4/2022
• Veterans Who Love Their Country Gathered In Kentucky To Insist The Government Do The Right Thing | 3/3/2022
• Ground-Water Contamination At Military Installation Caused Cancer In Thousands of Veterans | 3/2/2022
• Private Homeowners and Renters Are Largely Unaware Of the Toxic Chemical That Contaminate Their Everyday Drinking Wellwater | 3/1/2022
• Individuals and Families Should Test The Drinking Water For Carcinogenic Chemical Contamination | 2/28/2022

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