Fort Worth taps $4M state loan to remove ‘forever chemicals’ from wastewater
Fort Worth is set to receive millions from the state to treat wastewater that has high levels of harmful chemicals.
City Council members approved a $4 million loan agreement with the Texas Water Development Board during their Aug. 26 meeting. The funds will go toward a water treatment project to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that are commonly known as “forever chemicals,” from fluid coming from the city’s southeast landfill before being treated.
The chemicals have been found in leachate, the fluid that drains from landfills or through waste, that then flows into the city’s wastewater collection system and is treated at the Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility, city spokesperson Mary Gugliuzza said in a statement.
The southeast landfill receives residential, commercial and industrial waste.
Because of the amount of PFAS collected over the last 50 years in solid waste streams, leachate often contains high concentrations of the chemicals, Gugliuzza said.
PFAS are made up of manufactured chemicals that break down very slowly and can build up in humans, animals and in the environment over time, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Forever chemicals can be found in sources of drinking water systems, landfill and disposal sites, fire extinguishing foam, food packaging, household cleaning products, biosolids and manufacturing or chemical production plants.
Exposure to the chemicals can lead to decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, increased risk of some cancers, a weakened immune system and increased cholesterol levels, according to the EPA.
The project comes in response to the city’s requirements on industrial waste pretreatment, Gugliuzza added, which limits the amount of forever chemicals that go through wastewater treatment.
The city will not have to repay the loan as long as it meets contractual requirements, according to city documents.
Fort Worth leaders have taken up other water quality treatment projects recently to address PFAS in local water supplies.
In March, city officials joined a lawsuit alleging the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth and chemical manufacturers contaminated Fort Worth’s water supply by using products containing forever chemicals, including fire-fighting foam.
The city sought $420 million in reimbursement for treating the water. The lawsuit, originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, was dismissed by Fort Worth officials.
They later joined a federal lawsuit filed out of South Carolina along with other plaintiffs against the original 12 defendants. City officials could not provide an update on the case.
Water treatment plant to supply additional millions of gallons of water
Council members also approved a contract with the state water board to fund the $180 million expansion of the Eagle Mountain Water Treatment Plant.
The plant will be able to treat an additional 35 million gallons a day after the expansion, up from the 105 million gallons a day it currently produces.
The funds, made available through the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, offers local governments financial assistance to fund projects related to conservation and reuse, water treatment plants, reservoirs and pipelines.
The expansion project comes in response to rapid development and population growth.
Fort Worth has 1 million residents. Officials expect to add 550,000 more residents by 2045 throughout the city’s service areas, water utility director Chris Harder said in a Feb. 18 meeting.
The water department ultimately plans on expanding the Eagle Mountain plant to produce up to 200 million gallons a day, Harder said. The total expansion is projected to cost up to $250 million.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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