At least three Iowa cities are seeing multi-million-dollar legal settlements from chemical companies for PFAS contamination in drinking water.
The biggest Iowa payout is to Des Moines which expects a $10-million check as part of a class-action case.
Christina Murphy is with the West Des Moines Water Works, which will receive more than $3-million from 3-M, DuPont, and other companies.
“The frustrating thing is that it hasn’t been ruled out at the federal level, so people can still use those compounds in manufacturing,” Murphy says. “A lot of industries have taken steps to not use them anymore, but there’s no federal rule preventing them from doing so.”
Exposure to PFAS comes with several health risks, including thyroid problems, immune system changes and a higher risk of certain cancers.
Cory McCoid, with the Iowa DNR, says they started statewide sampling for PFAS in 2020 and about a dozen locations statewide have levels above federal guidelines. PFAS from firefighter foam is one of the sources.
“What we’ve seen a lot so far across the state is people taking wells offline,” McCoid says, “and then utilizing other wells or putting new wells in.”
Dubuque is also expecting a payout of more than $3-million, Sioux City should get more than $500,000, and several more cities are still waiting on word.
McCoid says smaller communities might not have the resources to participate in the class-action lawsuit.
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