By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson Water has opened a new PFAS treatment facility aimed at helping the south side, where residents have dealt with contaminated water for generations.
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In 1981, the industrial solvent TCE was found in south Tucson’s aquifer and the city’s groundwater. Cleanup efforts began immediately, and the contaminant has been removed from the water for years.
Yolanda Herrera, a member of the Unified Community Advisory Board, said her family has dealt with the impacts of contaminated water for more than four decades.
“To see it generationally with my family, having just lost another member. And we’d like to see that stop,” Herrera said.
Herrera said she still sees the impact at her Sunnyside High reunions.
“Whenever we have our reunions, you just see photo after photo after photo of our classmates that are no longer here because they were impacted by the water contamination,” Herrera said.
While TCE is gone, Tucson Water said it now faces another contaminant.
“Now we know that we have PFAS from the airport area coming into our well field,” said John Kmiec of Tucson Water.
The new treatment facility expands the 2014 Tucson Airport Remediation Project and will work to clean water from the chemicals known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”
“Now that this treatment facility, specific for PFAS, is constructed, we’re gonna be watching how this treatment works over the next several years while still going to non-drinking water purposes,” Kmiec said.
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Herrera said she hopes the facility eases minds in her community.
“Even some of my neighbors don’t want to drink the water. They would rather drink bottled water,” Herrera said.
Herrera said she is glad to see change happening.
“This is very, very powerful in that they are listening to the community,” Herrera said.
The goal is for once-contaminated groundwater to eventually be used as drinking water again to diversify Tucson’s water supply, including during active water cuts.
Kmiec said after a few years of testing, the groundwater that goes through the facility could become drinking water if that is what community members decide.
He said conversations about that should happen in 2029 and 2030.
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