McLaughlin urges public water systems to join settlement for removal of ‘forever chemicals’

Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills is urging municipalities and public water systems to register before Wednesday’s deadline for a state settlement program for the removal of so-called “forever chemicals” from water sources.

His message is particularly relevant — but not confined to — his own 52nd District where Barrington-area communities are more reliant on local ground water.

“I’m not an alarmist, but it’s a chemical. It’s really difficult to get eradicated from the water system,” McLaughlin said.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in water systems across the country and can pose long-term environmental and public health concerns, he added.

According to an Illinois Municipal League fact sheet, common products that do or did contain PFAS include firefighting foam, stain repellents and non-stick cookware. These chemicals are potentially harmful due to their inability to break down, their persistence in the environment, their ability to permeate soils and contaminate drinking water sources and build up in fish and wildlife.

There are nearly 15,000 different varieties of PFAS, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

And even more about their health impacts may be known in the future than currently, McLaughlin added.

Through the Illinois PFAS Settlement Program, communities incurring costs to investigate, treat or remove such contamination from their water systems may be eligible to receive financial assistance through settlement funds established to address its effects.

Wednesday is the last day to register with the designated law firm, but should take very little time to do for the sake of future benefits allowing tax dollars to be saved, McLaughlin said.

For more information and to register, visit pfaswatersettlement.com.

“Just make sure your name is registered,” McLaughlin is telling public water system operators. “There’s no harm in signing up. There’s no financial liability. Why not get on the list and then hope there’s no need?”

For the village of Barrington’s water system, there’s neither need nor eligibility because no dangerous PFAS levels have ever been recorded, Public Works Director Fred Braun said.

“We do a source water protection plan that we update every five years,” he added.

While Barrington was aware of the settlement program, it’s possible it escaped the notice of some communities, Braun said. But every public water system should know what its PFAS levels have been to determine eligibility.

In contrast to a municipal well system like Barrington’s, DuPage Water Commission is a wholesaler that buys Lake Michigan water from Chicago, the commission’s Manager of Water Operations Chris Bostick said. As a distributor, the water commission would not participate in the settlement program.