MVSD receiving forever chemical settlement money

Last week, 21 News told you chemical manufacturing company, 3M will pay over 10 billion dollars to water suppliers across the country that have forever chemicals or PFAS in their systems.

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District will receive part of the settlement money from a lawsuit over the presence of Forever chemicals in drinking water. While it's a process that has a long way to go, the District's Chief Engineer said these funds will help expense a new water filtration system to provide healthier water to thousands of homes throughout the region.

"We will be part of the initial litigation in the larger of the two claims," explained Thomas Wilson, Attorney with Comstock, Springer & Wilson Co. L.P.A.

The litigation dollars will help expense a new $40 million dollar water filtration system that eliminates these types of chemicals from the water that goes to over 220,000 homes throughout the Mahoning Valley. 

"The treated water will flow through activated carbon," explained Mike McNinch, Chief Engineer with the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District. "The activated carbon will remove the PFAS."

McNinch explained they will have to install a new building structure to enclose the system and install a new pump station, an expensive process that these litigation dollars can assist with.

McNinch added they're working out the project's preliminary engineering estimate and operational and chemical costs to figure out what the final price tag will be.

"When we do go to become a part of this class action, we will have a hard number that we can ask for or say at least these are the consequences so that we can get the largest share possible," McNinch added. 

The U.S. EPA is cracking down on drinking water standards this year by proposing stronger restrictions that would limit PFAS chemicals, that are linked to causing cancer and developmental defects.

"When the district was able to identify some of their expenses and what it's going to cost to meet these new EPA regulations, they determined it would be in their best interest," Wilson added. 

The chief engineer hopes the 220,000 homes that use MVSD water will have more peace of mind after the project is completed.

"We want to make sure the community understands that we're doing everything we can to be in compliance but to also exceed that to provide the safest water we can, as affordably as possible," McNinch said. 

The Ohio EPA said 58 out of 15,000+ Ohio water treatment plants tested positive for forever chemicals.

A rough estimate for when the project could be completed at MVSD is ballparked around early 2027.