Cities Warn of Funding Struggle as EPA Preps PFAS Drinking Water Rule

"Cash-strapped city water systems are struggling to envision how they’ll pay to filter “forever chemicals” out of drinking water in light of an EPA rule that could be finalized as soon as March.

Municipal water systems have a few funding streams—including federal grant dollars and lawsuit settlement money—to tap into. But those sources don’t appear to be adequate, said Sean McGinnis, a partner at environmental consultancy CO2EFFICIENT.

The other, more direct, stream of funding is raising residents’ water bills.

“The last thing cities need is a hugely expensive unfunded mandate,” said Rochester, Minn., Mayor Kim Norton (D). “Don’t punish cities and the residents that live there for something that’s not our fault.”"

Drew Hutchinson reports for Bloomberg Environment February 27, 2024.