On January 10, 2025, Fairfax Water filed suit in the Circuit Court of Fairfax County against dozens of aqueous firefighting film-forming foam (AFFF) chemical manufacturers for the widespread contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) of its drinking water sources, the Occoquan Reservoir and Potomac River, and the watersheds that feed them. Some of the manufacturers, including 3M, Dupont, Tyco and BASF have offered Court-approved settlements to drinking water utilities to partially compensate them for PFAS pollution. Fairfax Water elected not to accept those settlements and filed suit because the settlements do not begin to meet the costs of removing PFAS chemicals from the water we deliver. Fairfax Water believes that its rate payers should not bear the enormous costs of PFAS treatment and clean up. Those costs rightfully belong to the companies that profited from PFAS chemicals, while hiding the known harms to the environment and to human health. The lawsuit seeks damages, as well as injunctive relief to remediate damaged Fairfax Water resources. In the meantime, rest assured that the water provided to Fairfax Water’s customers continues to meet drinking water standards as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.