Rain Gardens Made To Control Stormwater Have Been Shown To Hold Onto PFAS And Let It Out Slowly

Stormwater gardens that are good for the environment and are supposed to clean up runoff are now related to PFAS buildup and delayed leaching into nearby groundwater and rivers

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - Researchers are now looking more closely at rain gardens, which were long thought to be a simple, green way to deal with runoff in cities, because they are linked to PFAS poisoning. These landscaped basins are meant to catch rainwater and filter it through layers of soil, gravel, and plants. This lowers the risk of floods and makes the water cleaner. But tests done recently in a few states suggest that rain gardens can catch PFAS chemicals that come from roads, roofs, and surrounding factories. These "forever chemicals" build up in the soil over time and are slowly released back into storm drains and groundwater. PFAS don't break down easily in nature, so they can flow through water and stay in the environment for decades. People in communities that used to see rain gardens as good for the environment are now finding out that they might also be storing chemicals for a long time. Local health officials are worried about the danger of cancer from PFAS contaminated water and the chemicals getting into wells, streams, and irrigation systems. People who put in private rain gardens near their driveways or parking lots are especially worried because testing have shown that PFAS levels are high enough to need further research. Some people who live in the area have already contacted a PFAS water pollution lawyer to find out what legal or other alternatives they might have if their property or water supply is contaminated.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that PFAS are very hard to break down naturally or through regular soil filtration. This means that once they get into the topsoil of a rain garden, they tend to stay there and move slowly. PFAS chemicals don't break down like organic contaminants do. Instead, they stick to dirt and plant roots and then dissolve again when it rains heavily. Environmental scientists have dubbed it a "leaching time bomb" because PFAS that have been held for years can unexpectedly wash out into aquifers during seasonal storms or floods. Cities and towns all around the country are now looking at their green infrastructure programs again to see if the designs need to be changed. Engineers are studying modified soils and sorbents that can hold PFAS in place longer, including activated carbon or specific clays. Others are looking into biochar additions to make the PFAS less mobile. The results don't indicate that we should stop using rain gardens; they are still very important for controlling floods. However, they do mean that future projects need to take into consideration chemical pollutants that weren't in the original stormwater models. Environmental planners also want PFAS to be checked in runoff from highways, airports, and industrial parks, which are all major sources that go into rain gardens and bioswales. Cities could move pollutants from surface water to groundwater if they don't take this extra step. This is a problem that can take decades to fix.

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