Connecticut Water customers will start seeing a new surcharge on their bills this year that stems from a federal directive for water utilities to build out infrastructure to monitor PFAS, or forever chemicals, in drinking water, which have been linked to cancer and other health issues,.
In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized national enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS monitoring. Under the current rule, public water systems must complete initial PFAS monitoring by April 2027 and meet the standards by 2029.
The water utility, which provides water service to more than 107,000 customers across 60 communities in the state, is planning on spending $190 million for system upgrades to meet the federal standards, the company said. Over the next few years, Connecticut Water is planning 26 projects around the state targeting PFAS filtration to meet the new EPA regulations by the 2029 deadline. The company said it has been testing for PFAS in its drinking water since 2019, before the federal requirements were in place. The new projects aim to remove PFAS from drinking water if detected.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals used for decades in products like non-stick cookware, food packaging and firefighting foam. The long-lasting chemicals break down very slowly over time and are found all over the United States, according to the EPA. Officials say the chemicals have been linked to various health problems.
“We’re already moving forward with a plan to meet those standards, with additional treatment facilities coming online in the years ahead,” Connecticut Water president Craig Patla said. “Continually delivering reliable, high-quality drinking water to the communities we serve means staying versed in emerging contaminants, like PFAS, and investing in the technologies needed to address them.”
The utility’s first monitoring facility to come online in Avon is a $1.1 million treatment facility utilizing ion exchange technology to remove PFAS. The company said though there currently is no detectable PFAS in the drinking water, the facility will continually monitor and remove PFAS if detected. PFAS ion exchange is a water treatment technology that uses specialized synthetic resin beads to capture and remove PFAS from water.
The Water Quality and Treatment Adjustment, a new surcharge appearing on customer bills, was signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont last year with input from state leaders, consumer advocates and the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, according to the company. The surcharge is designed to allow water utilities to recover the nearly $200 million from the infrastructure projects needed to meet the new federal drinking water regulations, a spokesperson with Connecticut Water said
The company said the surcharge will appear as a separate line on customer bills. The first charge is expected in April 2026, subject to PURA approval, and it will include actual expenses for PFAS-related treatment incurred in 2025 and 2024, according to Connecticut Water.
“Going forward, we expect 2026 water quality treatment expenses, which have been reviewed and approved by PURA, will be added to customer bills in April 2027,” according to a Connecticut Water spokesperson. “This will gradually phase-in costs over time, rather than as a single large increase. The WQTA spreads the cost of water quality improvements across multiple years, resulting in smaller, incremental adjustments.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected].