Tucson Water advances PFAS treatment infrastructure as legal settlements offset capital costs

Tucson Water advances PFAS treatment infrastructure as legal settlements offset capital costsThe Arizona utility reported significant progress on the TARP and Northwest treatment facilities during a February 18 study session, despite ongoing challenges with groundwater contamination that have taken two dozen wells offline.

The TARP AOP PFAS pretreatment project is 45% complete, with substantial completion expected by July 2026.

Twenty-four production wells remain air-gapped and out of service due to PFAS detections, with another eight designated for emergency use only.

The city has received approximately 60% of an anticipated $30 million allocation from 3M and DuPont settlements.

Tucson Water continues to operate with internal targets of less than 2 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS.

Tucson Water is moving forward with multiple infrastructure projects designed to treat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the region's groundwater, according to a fourth-quarter update presented to the Mayor and Council on February 18, 2026. Tucson Water Director John Kmiec reported that the Tucson Airport Remediation Project (TARP) Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) PFAS pretreatment facility is approximately 45% complete. The project, which includes the installation of ion exchange vessels and a new control building, has expended roughly $12.2 million in state-allocated funding to date. Kmiec stated that substantial completion is anticipated in July 2026, with final completion following in August. Work is also progressing in the Northwest Service Area, where a wellhead treatment facility is currently in detailed design. One well has been completed, and a second re-drill is nearing completion. Kmiec noted that based on current production results, the utility may be able to eliminate a third planned well without reducing system capacity, improving overall project efficiency. However, challenges remain at the Randolph Park project site. While initial well drilling was completed, the yield did not meet the anticipated capacity required for the proposed treatment configuration. The utility is currently working with design consultants, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and the Air Force to evaluate alternative well locations for effective plume containment. The infrastructure push comes as the utility manages significant contamination impacts on its existing system. Kmiec confirmed that 24 production wells remain air-gapped and out of active service due to PFAS detections. An additional eight wells are designated for emergency use only, and 10 TARP wells remain removed from potable use, currently serving the recycled water system. Despite the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating an intent to extend compliance deadlines to 2031, Tucson Water maintains internal operational targets of less than 2 parts per trillion (ppt) for both PFOA and PFOS. Kmiec emphasized that the utility is "not waiting to act" on federal extensions. To fund these mitigation efforts, the city is leveraging litigation settlements. Kmiec reported that Tucson has received two settlement payments under the Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) multi-district litigation, representing approximately 60% of an anticipated $30 million allocation from the 3M and DuPont settlement pool. These allocations stem from historic national agreements finalized in 2023, in which 3M agreed to pay over $10 billion and DuPont settled for $1.18 billion to resolve claims from public water providers across the country. These funds are earmarked to offset treatment, monitoring, and capital expenditures. "Polluters pay, not Tucson families," said Mayor Regina Romero, reiterating the city's stance on seeking reimbursement from responsible parties for remediation costs.