Settlement agreement reached in PFAS lawsuit, potentially benefiting the Acton Water District

At the June 5 meeting of the Acton Water District (AWD) Commissioners, District Manager Matthew Mostoller announced that the District had received word that a settlement agreement had been reached in a multi-district lawsuit against the manufacturers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a family of chemicals that have been widely used in non-stick coatings, water-repellent surfaces, personal care products, food packaging, firefighting foam and other applications. However, they have been linked to liver damage, weakened immune systems, and several forms of cancer. The Acton Water District was one of thousands of public water suppliers signed onto the lawsuit. According to New York Times coverage of the settlement agreement, the chemical companies Dupont, Chemours, and Corteva have reached an agreement in principle to set up a $1.19 billion fund to help remove these toxic substances from public drinking water supplies. The deal still requires approval by a judge. Spread among thousands of public water suppliers and subtracting lawyers’ fees, $1.19 billion will not come close to covering the costs of remediating PFAS. In Acton alone, voters at the 2023 AWD annual meeting authorized the District to borrow $14 million to install PFAS treatment systems at the Central Acton and South Acton Water Treatment Plants.