Fort Worth has secured a $4 million state loan to upgrade wastewater treatment plants and reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment.
Federal agencies have linked PFAS exposure to serious health risks.
City officials said the loan will help address PFAS contamination affecting local water sources as part of broader legal and technological efforts to protect public health.
Water quality experts said the money will fund treatment upgrades to better eliminate PFAS, which do not naturally break down and can linger in water supplies for decades.
Fort Worth officials say contamination stems partly from industrial and military activities, including firefighting foam used at defense sites. The city has filed lawsuits against federal agencies and chemical manufacturers seeking damages for water pollution.
“The City of Fort Worth has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and multiple manufacturers of PFAS chemicals to hold them accountable for contaminating Fort Worth’s drinking water sources. “These ‘forever chemicals’ have been linked to serious health risks,” said Reyne Telles, city spokesperson.
The city has already spent more than $9 million on research for PFAS removal. It also ended its contract with Synagro, which managed biosolids processing, amid concerns about PFAS in fertilizers.
Under a settlement, Fort Worth will pay Synagro $2.4 million and assume direct control of its sewage sludge facility, a move officials say will allow the city to manage contamination risks more directly.
New city regulations now require industrial sources to reduce PFAS discharges to 25 nanograms per liter within a year of detection, in line with new federal hazardous substance rules.
The contamination has also sparked lawsuits from local farmers who claimed PFAS-tainted fertilizers harmed livestock and crops. Reviews found most soil levels were below federal background values, though some elevated levels in fish and livestock remain unexplained.
“I do stand by the assessment … this was based on soil and water samples taken on the farm where Granulite was applied and data in the formal Peer report,” said Linda Lee, defending research findings challenged in lawsuits.
Fort Worth plans to use advanced filtration and other methods as part of its PFAS removal strategy. Officials said the $4 million loan is one step in the city’s push to eliminate forever chemicals from local water supplies and address legal liabilities.