TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson Water will receive $25 of federal funds to build additional treatment processes for the removal of PFAS from impacted groundwater.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) made the announcement Friday that Gov. Doug Ducey is allocating the funds to help Tucson Water improve per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment at a Tucson Water treatment plant.
The funding is designed too provide more treatment improvements to adapt the Tucson Airport Remediation Project (TARP), where contaminated groundwater is already being treated.
“The investment in the new treatment process will allow the original TARP remedy to continue on without the threat of having to turn off the plant because of the inability to treat for PFAS contamination,” said Tucson Water Director John Kmiec.
An inter-governmental agreement will help Tucson Water facilitate the use of funds with ADEQ.
“We are all too aware of the painful history of water contamination in our region, especially those impacting disadvantaged communities," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "There is much work to do to clean up PFAS throughout the Tucson region, and this is an important step forward."
According to the City of Tucson, Tucson water has operated TARP since 1994, where it has treated and contained contaminated groundwater near the airport.
To date, Tucson Water has spent over $30 million to address PFAS locally, continuing to test all drinking water sources for the compounds across its 390 square mile service area, turning off contaminated wells and drilling new ones in clean areas, and removing PFAS at TARP.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
