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Committee advances Occoquan PFAS-monitoring bill after Fairfax Water warns of large capital costs
Summary
The committee reported a bill requiring PFAS monitoring for certain industrial and stormwater dischargers upstream of the Occoquan Reservoir and gave DEQ authority to reopen permits if levels do not decline; Fairfax Water testified that meeting the new EPA PFAS MCL without source reductions could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Delegate Bulova presented a bill focusing on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the Occoquan Reservoir watershed. The measure requires specified industrial permittees and stormwater dischargers in the Occoquan watershed to begin monitoring on a timetable in the bill, report results to DEQ and, if monitoring shows levels above the EPA maximum contaminant level, triggers DEQ authority to reopen permits and require corrective steps.
Fairfax Water, the region’s largest utility, said samples have detected PFOS in finished water above the EPA’s 4 parts per trillion limit and warned that treating the drinking-water supply to remove PFAS instead of reducing sources could require an estimated $389 million in capital upgrades and $24 million in annual operating costs. Fairfax Water and local governments urged the committee to act to identify and reduce sources.
Industry groups and airport authorities cautioned that some dischargers cannot immediately meet drinking-water MCLs for PFAS and that technical feasibility and cost must be considered; proponents said the bill targets source identification and permit corrective processes rather than demanding immediate full-scale drinking-water treatment at every discharge.
Committee action
The committee reported the bill and re-referred it to Senate Finance for fiscal review. Roll-call: Ayes 11, Nays 4. Witnesses included Fairfax Water, the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Virginia Chemistry Council, and regional environmental groups.
Clarifying details
- Fairfax Water provided a committee estimate that treating PFAS at the plant rather than reducing sources could cost roughly $389 million in capital upgrades and $24 million annually for operations and maintenance. - The bill targets industrial dischargers and permitted stormwater dischargers in the Occoquan watershed and establishes monitoring and reporting deadlines. DEQ would have authority to reopen permits to require reductions if PFAS do not decline.
Next steps: The bill goes to the Senate Finance Committee for fiscal review and potential budgetary action; DEQ will be a primary implementing agency if the bill advances.
