‘Forever chemicals’ slam small cities with big water bills as they surface farther from 3M sites

Apple Valley leaders know that “forever chemicals” are coursing through the city’s water supply, but they can’t say for sure how the synthetic substances got there.

Yet the mysterious origin of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in nearly half of Apple Valley’s wells doesn’t change the fact that the city faces a $100 million bill to flush them from its system. And with outside sources unlikely to cover the whole project, residents are set to see their water rates rise to pay for the costly treatment plant upgrades.

The dilemma reveals the local implications of one of the 21st century’s most challenging environmental crises. As “forever chemicals” increasingly surface in wells across the Twin Cities area, small cities with limited resources now find themselves staring down enormous expenses to make drinking water safe for residents and satisfy federal regulators.

City officials are scrambling to secure money from the state and federal governments that could help rid their water of substances linked to certain cancers, birth defects and liver damage.

And it’s not just places closest to Minnesota’s most infamous PFAS hotspot — the plants and dumpsites of 3M, the chemical giant that for decades manufactured “forever chemicals” — racing to find funds.

Apple Valley, some 24 miles from the nearest 3M site, is hoping the state approves its $40 million bonding request to pay for cleanup efforts. But that cash infusion would still leave residents on the hook for the remainder, forcing the city to hike rates from $75 to $161 per household a quarter.

“Nothing our residents did, at least that we know of, has contributed to this,” Public Works Director Matt Saam said. “Yet our residents are the ones going to be stuck having to pay for it.”

But Wietecha’s advocacy hasn’t changed the bleak reality for the people who live in this city overlooking the Mississippi River: Even with $23 million so far from other sources in the bank, Hastings officials have already increased water rates to fund the first treatment plant. And they could raise them some 150% between 2024 and 2028 to pay for the others.

“It’s a budget buster, and really tough on our residents and businesses,” he said.

Hastings, despite its proximity to 3M’s Cottage Grove plant just across the river, was not initially eligible for funds from a massive settlement the manufacturer reached with a slate of east metro cities. That money was earmarked for PFAS that could be traced to a 3M facility.

The city‘s eligibility changed last fall, when scientists successfully identified a link between the “forever chemicals” detected in one city well and those produced at the 3M facility, unlocking a slice of funds from the manufacturer. But it’s far from enough to cover the cost of the high-tech treatment plants needed to remove PFAS from Hastings’ underground network of pipes. And what’s more, that $850 million settlement could run out as early as 2027.

Wietecha said that’s pushed officials to pursue “everything we can” for money, from grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to additional bonding money from the state to more 3M funds. If those opportunities don’t pan out, Hastings will be forced to proceed with the option that no one wants.

Saam said scientists are still searching for the “smoking gun” that might reveal how PFAS, associated with many companies, ended up in Apple Valley. They’ve noted that 3M never operated in town, and neither did chemical manufacturer DuPont. Because huge gravel pits pocked Apple Valley in its early years, some officials wonder if mining was the source of PFAS contamination.

But “it’s just speculation” at this point, Saam said.

As officials remain flummoxed, residents are bracing for higher water bills. Sue Wehrenberg called it a “sad reality” that she and her neighbors will likely have to foot some of the bill.

“I think we all hope there’s money coming from some of the polluters,” said Wehrenberg, a founder and vice president of a local environmental group, Apple Valley Eco Advocates.

The organization has handed out PFAS filters, which residents can install at home to rid their water of contaminants, as lottery prizes at events. Compare that citizen-led effort to some east metro cities that received a windfall from the 3M settlement — enough money, even, to pay for bottled water as residents waited out the construction of treatment plants.

But for Wehrenberg, the water rate increases just might be a necessary price to pay to keep that essential resource safe for future generations.