Georgetown is testing to remove “forever chemicals” from their water supply

GEORGETOWN, Del. — Georgetown is working to improve its water supply after detecting “forever chemicals” in it. Local officials explained the concerns surrounding these chemicals and how new funding is being used to address the issue.

Heather Warren, executive director of the Delaware Rural Water Association, said, “PFAS and PFOA are forever chemicals, which means they never go away. They bioaccumulate in your body, in the food you eat, in animals, and in drinking water. And they’re everywhere in the environment.”

She added that these chemicals can damage DNA cells, potentially leading to cancer, a carcinogenic effect. Addressing PFAS and PFOA contamination is also financially challenging.

“It’s very costly for many of these communities to install large-scale carbon filtration systems,” Warren said. “Thankfully, there are some funding sources from the federal government and the state, but it’s still not an easy fix.”

Georgetown has received $2.3 million in state funding for testing and analysis to determine the most effective method to remove these chemicals from the water. Several options are being tested.

Jene Dvornick, Georgetown’s general manager, said, “We’re testing granulated activated charcoal and two different types of polymer iron resins: one in bead form and another in gel form. The pilot program will tell us exactly which treatment media we need.”

Following testing, the next step will be the design and construction of a full-scale treatment facility. “The $950,000 is for the design, and the $20 million would be for the actual construction of the treatment facility,” Dvornick said.

Looking ahead, local officials are also navigating changing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.

“I’m thinking this might be a two-year project, though it could take longer depending on the availability of funding,” Dvornick said.

The timeline and budget for these efforts will depend largely on funding, as many rural areas in Delaware are facing similar challenges.