Advocates urge state leaders address PFAS risks to Georgia water supplies

Advocacy groups across Georgia are raising concerns about PFAS — commonly known as “forever chemicals” — as evidence continues to show their presence in drinking water supplies, particularly in parts of northwest Georgia near industrial operations.

PFAS are a large group of manmade chemicals that have been used for decades in manufacturing and consumer products. Once released, they can persist in the environment and move through water systems in ways that are difficult to stop. Rachel Rodgers, managing toxicologist at Gradient, said that mobility makes exposure hard to control.

“People can be exposed to PFAS when they use consumer products that contain PFAS or when they consume food that was grown or raised in PFAS-contaminated areas,” she said.

Researchers are still working to fully understand the health effects of PFAS exposure, Rodgers said, but studies to date have linked some of the chemicals to a range of possible outcomes. Research suggests certain PFAS may affect the immune system, pregnancy outcomes and cholesterol levels, while other studies have found potential links to some cancers. With more than 9,000 PFAS compounds identified, she said only a limited number have been closely examined.

In Northwest Georgia, the impacts are already being felt. Jesse Doemonbreun-Chapman, executive director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, said communities near Dalton and Calhoun have faced contamination connected to carpet and textile manufacturing. He said some companies used pre-treatment permits to send PFAS-containing wastewater to public treatment facilities that were not designed to remove the chemicals, allowing them to circulate through soil, surface water and groundwater.

Those concerns are driving support for House Bill 611.

“So basically,” he said, “it requires companies to disclose to the locally owned treatment works that have a pre-treatment program if they are intentionally using PFAS or they suspect that they are passing PFAS on to the public sewer through their wastewater.”

Under Georgia law, companies are not currently required to provide that information. Environmental advocates say people can reduce exposure by avoiding nonstick cookware, limiting stain-resistant products and using certified water filters.