Of the nearly 50 water systems across Texas that reported levels of “forever chemicals” higher than the federal government’s new limits, six are in the Fort Worth area.
Fort Worth, Arlington, Grapevine, Haltom City, Lake Worth and Weatherford each had a water treatment plant or facility report higher levels of PFAS than the maximum allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations, which were announced in April. Ten other North Texas cities, including Dallas, Irving, Farmers Branch, Duncanville and Flower Mound, also reported high PFAS concentrations.
However, water utilities will only be required to take action if the average amount of their annual samples — not just a single sample — is above the EPA’s new limits.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they build up in the environment and in people’s bodies rather than break down. Exposure to high levels of PFAS has been linked to increased risk of cancers, developmental delays in children, decreased fertility and reduced ability to fight infections.
Most Americans have been exposed to the chemicals through drinking water, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics and fire extinguishing foam, among other consumer products, according to the EPA. The agency has determined there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS.
Now, public water systems across the country must monitor for six chemicals in drinking water and take steps to reduce contamination if they are above the EPA’s acceptable levels. Initial testing must be completed and made publicly available by 2027, and solutions to reduce contamination should be implemented by 2029.
City staff in Fort Worth, Arlington, Grapevine and Weatherford say action is already being taken to address PFAS contamination, ranging from new treatment equipment to increased testing. Representatives for Haltom City and Lake Worth did not respond to requests for comment.
Viraj deSilva, a senior treatment process leader at engineering firm Freese and Nichols with decades of experience in PFAS management, said he advises cities to educate their communities about “forever chemicals” and their presence in drinking water.
“Do a public outreach program and tell them what it actually is. You don’t have anything to hide, and it will already be public,” deSilva told the Report. “If you are planning to expand your water supply, it’s better to include these treatment systems right now with these master plans and use (capital infrastructure) money. Have a plan.”
Fort Worth plans carbon treatment, adopts new wastewater policies
Over the course of mandatory EPA testing last year, Fort Worth’s North and South Holly Water Treatment Plants reported 16 samples that exceeded the agency’s new standards for two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS.
Because the city’s overall average of PFOA or PFOS was not at or above 4 parts per trillion, Fort Worth’s water would not exceed the new limits on those chemicals.
However, the Holly plants would violate limits on PFHxS, which is capped at 10 parts per trillion under the new regulations. The North Holly plant reported an average of 15.1 parts per trillion, while South Holly reported 13.8 parts per trillion. One part per trillion is equal to one drop of impurity in 500,000 barrels of water, according to the city.
The city studied treatment options last year and plans to use activated carbon to remove chemicals at the Holly treatment plants, water director Chris Harder previously told the Report. Activated carbon, one of three solutions approved by the federal government, attracts and holds PFAS for removal.
“We are in a position where we’re going to have to go with the carbon solution,” Harder said. “It’s going to be expensive, and it’s going to impact our ratepayers, and we’re going to be doing everything we possibly can to get some federal support in terms of the funding, but we’re going to have to move forward.”
City Council members will likely vote on an engineering contract to design the activated carbon filter system before their July break, Harder said. In late April, council members also approved a policy restricting how industrial companies can discharge their wastewater into Fort Worth’s treatment system. If the company has detectable amounts of PFAS in its waste, it must meet the new limits before discharging into the Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Fort Worth is among several cities that have declined to take payouts from class action settlements with PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont, saying the payment would be too low to cover the costs of removing chemicals from drinking water and would limit the city’s ability to seek further compensation. Instead, the city has hired four outside law firms to pursue its own claims against PFAS manufacturers.
Fort Worth’s biosolids fertilizer program is also at the center of controversy over PFAS contamination. In February, a group of Johnson County landowners sued the city’s contractor, Synagro, over claims that PFAS in the fertilizer, produced from sewage sludge, poisoned their land and killed animals. Fort Worth was not named as a party in the lawsuit.
Arlington won’t be required to reduce PFAS chemicals
Two samples from Arlington’s Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant returned results just over the EPA’s limit for PFOS last year. City spokesperson Susan Schrock said the substance was detected in June and September 2023, but none was detected in November.
As a result, Arlington’s annual average falls beneath 4 parts per trillion and would not require treatment under the EPA’s regulations, she said.
“Tests conducted over the past year by Arlington Water Utilities show that the city’s water is in compliance with these new safety guidelines,” Schrock said.
The city will begin newly mandated PFAS testing in October, she said, and those results will be included in Arlington’s annual water quality report by 2027. Arlington will follow requirements to notify the public if the city’s water exceeds limits on “forever chemicals.”
Grapevine reports five water samples above new limits
Last year, five samples from the Grapevine Water Treatment Plant tested above the new limits for PFOS and PFOA. The Tarrant County suburb’s main water source, Grapevine Lake, tested positive for levels that were just above the government’s maximum allowable levels of 4 parts per trillion, said city spokesperson Mona Quintanilla.
Grapevine’s leadership and water treatment staff are working on a plan to meet the new requirements over the next five years. That plan will include pilot testing to determine what type of treatment is best for removing contaminants in Grapevine Lake and the continuation of quarterly testing to track the overall impact to water quality, Quintanilla said.
She reiterated that Grapevine’s water is safe for consumption, cooking and cleaning.
“The city of Grapevine’s top priority is providing high-quality, clean and safe drinking water for residents, businesses and visitors,” Quintanilla said.
Weatherford’s new treatment process could help city meet regulations
At the Weatherford Water Treatment Plant in Parker County, two samples taken last year contained more than the allowable limit for PFOS. Because two of the four samples exceeded 4 parts per trillion, the city’s water would not meet the new regulations for PFOS, said Rick Shaffer, Weatherford’s water utilities director.
Weatherford has used granular activated carbon to treat its water since 2019, Shaffer said. The treatment option was primarily implemented to improve “aesthetic qualities” of the city’s drinking water, but it has additional benefits in reducing PFAS, he said.
The city is currently constructing four new activated carbon filters to further enhance drinking water quality, with a scheduled completion date in July. Weatherford will seek funding from state loans or grant funding to improve its water quality in the future, Shaffer said.
“Weatherford already meets the requirements for five of the six regulated PFAS compounds,” Shaffer said. “Weatherford has taken steps several years ago that puts Weatherford in a very good position to meet EPA’s new standards this year once our current (activated carbon) construction project is complete.”
Haltom City, Lake Worth report high levels of PFAS
Three samples at the Hollis Purchase water storage in Haltom City reported levels of PFOA and PFOS that exceed the EPA’s new limits. Haltom City has purchased its drinking water from Fort Worth since the late 1980s and has a storage capacity of 12 million gallons, according to the city’s website. The city’s public works department did not respond to a request for comment.
The city of Lake Worth also had a single sample that exceeded the government’s limits on PFOS, according to the EPA’s database. Lake Worth’s public works department did not respond to a request for comment.
Haley Samsel is the environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. You can reach them at haley.samsel@fortworthreport.org.
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