Committee accepts 3M settlement funds for water system; staff say DuPont settlement will be far smaller and filters could cost hundreds of millions

Summary

The committee accepted settlement funds from 3M for the public water system and discussed anticipated DuPont funds; Metro Water Services estimated full granular activated carbon (GAC) filter installations could cost about $250 million, while DuPont funds were described as substantially smaller (around $300,000).

The committee approved an ordinance accepting and appropriating public water system settlement funds from 3M to Metro Water Services (Deals2025-219). The item included an amendment and passed in committee with a majority vote reported as 7-0 after adjustments.

Councilmember Allen asked whether funds from DuPont were expected and whether the two settlements together would cover the cost of advanced filters Metro may need to address PFAS. Tara Ladd of Metro Water Services said a DuPont settlement is expected but "it's gonna be substantially less. I'm thinking around $300,000 mark." Ladd said Metro has not programed installation of the granular activated carbon (GAC) beds it might ultimately need, but estimated that installing GAC at both water treatment plants could cost on the order of $250,000,000.

Ladd also said PFAS are currently not detected in the city's drinking water. The committee approved the appropriation as amended and directed staff to proceed with the appropriation process; the committee did not identify a specific construction schedule for filters during the meeting.