Maysville water staff warn PFOS exceedances; GAC filter could cost $1M–$3M with compliance due Oct. 2027

Darren, the water department presenter at Maysville's March 27 budget workshop, told the Board of Commissioners that PFOS sampling in the city's water supply is above maximum contaminant levels and that the likely corrective measure is installation of granular activated carbon (GAC) filters.

"Everybody has heard about the PFOS," Darren said. "We gotta be in compliance by October 2027." He put the rough cost estimate for GAC at between $1 million and $3 million and said he had "some good news" that the state had indicated a possible funding path to pay some of the cost.

Darren also described operational problems at the Flemingsburg pump station, where piping shifted during winter flooding and pumps and motors suffered damage. He estimated repairs to pump-station infrastructure could be in the $0.5 million to $1 million range and said the distribution mains feeding several neighborhoods are aging and may require replacement at an estimated $1.5 million for a particular section.

For staffing and safety, Darren asked the commission to consider hiring two additional water-plant operators because current staffing requires single-person night shifts. "If 1 of those operators somehow failed or got hurt, there'd be nobody there to find them for hours," he said.

Why it matters: PFOS exceedances trigger regulatory compliance obligations and potential capital spending that could stretch the city's budget. Commissioners asked about grant opportunities and coordination with state officials; the city manager said engineering steps and grant pursuit will be part of next-stage planning.

Next steps: staff will continue engineering scoping, pursue state funding leads, and include water-plant priorities in the scheduled departmental budget reviews ahead of the April 10 meeting.