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Irondale officials say PFAS levels fell below limits; city to schedule a water‑committee update
Summary
Residents raised concerns about PFAS contamination during public comment; Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. said Irondale has spent more than $1 million on treatment and that recent well tests in December were below 1 part per trillion.
A public comment session at the Irondale City Council meeting on Tuesday centered on resident worries about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the city’s drinking-water testing and communications.
Gwen Moore, who lives on Heritage Lane, said she was alarmed by online reports and asked whether Irondale had published additional water testing after an April report last year. "Is it true that we have not had another published official testing of the water? Because we were one of four that had that forever chemical in it," Moore said.
Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. responded that the city "have spent over a million dollars to make sure that the water levels or falls below what is called the MCLs" and that the city performs quarterly testing with reports filed at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). The mayor told the meeting that the last testing of the wells in December produced results "that it fell below 1 part per trillion." He pointed residents to ADEM for the official reports and said staff would hold further public meetings to explain the data.
Councilwoman Cindy Cuellar asked that the city schedule a water committee meeting so officials could present test results and answer questions in a structured forum. "We should be providing this information to our residents just as we did last April of 2024," Cuellar said; the council president agreed to schedule the meeting following the current session.
Residents at the meeting urged testing and transparency. The mayor and council emphasized quarterly testing and directed staff to arrange a committee session to present the most recent results and explain treatment steps the city has taken.
Ending: Council members said they will schedule a water-committee meeting after the council session so staff can present testing results and answer public questions, and the mayor repeated that the city’s quarterly ADEM reports contain the formal data.
