Water Sector News
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Wolf allocates $3.8M to Bucks, Montgomery county towns for PFAS treatment, eliminating surcharges on water bills
esidents of Bucks and Montgomery counties whose water has been contaminated by a toxic class of chemicals known as PFAS will get a break on their water bills.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday $3.8 million in funding for water treatment in Horsham, Warminster, Warrington, and Warwick townships. Residents of Horsham and Warminster have been paying a surcharge on their water bills since authorities began removing PFAS from the water in 2016. The new funding — about $1.2 million for Horsham and $2.1 million for Warminster — will eliminate that surcharge. The remaining funds will be divided between Warrington and Warwick for infrastructure projects.
All four towns have grappled with contaminated drinking water in recent years. PFAS, once used in firefighting foam at nearby military air bases, seeped into the groundwater and, because the chemicals do not break down in the environment, contaminated drinking water supplies. PFAS have since been linked to health problems, ranging from high cholesterol to certain cancers.