Vancouver likely to raise water utility rates to fund PFAS mitigation
May 5-Water customers in Vancouver could soon be on the hook to help cover the estimated $280 million price tag for removing "forever chemicals" from the city's tap water.
"We anticipate future rate increases," said Kris Olinger, the city's utilities engineering division manager.
The city's drinking water supply has consistently shown higher than normal levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of toxic, synthetic chemicals commonly known as PFAS that are linked to a range of health problems including certain types of cancer.
PFAS, developed in the 1940s and 1950s to resist heat, water and grease, are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment or in the human body. The chemicals have been used in a wide variety of products from nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing to firefighting foam and stain-resistant carpeting. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS have been discovered in half of the public drinking water systems in the country, affecting about 158 million Americans.
During the Vancouver City Council's Monday evening workshop, Olinger and Mehrin Selimgir, Vancouver's water engineering manager, told officials that eight of the city's nine water stations have had PFAS levels higher than the EPA's maximum contaminant levels of 4 parts per trillion. It doesn't take too much to go past the federal maximums; 1 part per trillion is roughly equal to a drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Paying for the PFAS mitigation efforts could be a heavy lift for the city. Even accounting for funds received from lawsuits and forgivable loans, Olinger said the city will need to rely on water utility ratepayers to help fund the PFAS mitigation projects.
Worst well
The city tests its water stations for PFAS on a quarterly basis. Selimgir said these testing results show that just one of the city's water stations - the Ellsworth Water Station near the intersection of Southeast 97th Avenue and Southeast French Road - has consistently shown levels below the federal maximums.
The city is gearing up to mitigate PFAS at its worst offender, Water Station 14, near the intersection of Northeast 78th Street and Northeast Andresen Road.
"This site consistently has the highest PFAS concentrations," Selimgir said. "It is the first site to go for design and for moving forward with construction, as well."
But that work is delayed.
In June, the city considered four construction bids ranging from $8.758 million to $9.752 million to install pressure vessels with activated carbon to mitigate PFAS at Water Station 14. The city's engineers estimated that the work would cost $10.376 million.
Selimgir said officials had concerns about the lowest bid and chose to reject that round of construction bids.
"Rebidding opened last week and public works is pushing to award the rebid of Station 14 by early June," Selimgir said.
The city's water station treatment improvements timeline shows a staggered mitigation approach, with treatment design and construction plans for seven other wells over the course of five to six years.
Olinger said the city also will look at new water sources such as deeper wells and aquifers that are not contaminated by PFAS.
Where funding stands
The overall mitigation efforts are projected to cost at least $280 million. The city has received around $14 million and should get another $16 million from its class-action lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers, Olinger said, and will receive federal money in the form of 100 percent forgivable loans from former President Joe Biden's Infrastructure Investment Act, which are passed down through the Washington Department of Health's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
Funding for the city's PFAS mitigation efforts at Water Station 14, for example, will include a $12.7 million forgivable loan, while mitigation at Water Station 4 will be paid for with a $12 million forgivable loan and two regular loans: $3 million from the state's drinking water revolving fund and $10 million from the state's Public Works Board.
As for future water utility rate increases, Olinger said city staff will bring information back to the council at a workshop in mid-June.
And city staff are still seeking nonutility funds that can help pay to remove PFAS from the water supply.
"The team continues to look for loans, grants and other ways to offset those costs," Olinger said.
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