Dalton Utilities, which is facing a lawsuit for the presence of so-called 'forever chemicals' in its water supply, will soon begin a pilot program for testing the water, paid for by the federal government.
Earlier this week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would begin to limit the amount of harmful "forever chemicals" in drinking water to the lowest level that tests can detect, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer.
Dalton Utilities is responsible for gas, electricity and water for thousands of residents in what is considered 'the carpet capital of the world.'
But a lawsuit says those carpet mills have contributed to widespread pollution in the water supply over the years.
The utility has been given about $1.5 million in grant money to conduct a pilot study for testing water, set to run through October 2026.
According to the EPA, Georgia was awarded $31,673,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding in 2022 to "support state clean water and emerging containments infrastructure projects."
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) proposed $3.5 million in BIL funding for Dalton Utilities treating wastewater effluent of the area’s carpet industry for a series of pilot projects to test the effectiveness of various PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) removal and destruction technologies to address persistent concerns associated from the emerging contaminants like PFAS.
Dalton Utilities is getting all of the money allocated for Georgia, according to the newspaper.
PFAS are commonly known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment and are used in many household products.
The chemicals’ name comes from their resistance to heat, water and oils, making them difficult to remove once they enter the environment.
PFAS have been linked to a number of serious health conditions, including cancers, immune system suppression, high cholesterol and stunted infant and fetal growth.
A federal lawsuit filed by Jarrod Johnson in 2019 claims Dalton's carpet industry has used PFAS chemicals for years to add water- and stain-resistance to its products.
The suit says toxic chemicals used during the carpet manufacturing process have been allowed to seep into the rivers that supply drinking water to communities near Dalton, including Rome, Georgia and the rest of Floyd County.
Johnson sued Dalton Utilities for violating the Clean Water Act and for creating a public nuisance.
His lawsuit claims that Dalton Utilities has caused the City of Rome’s domestic water supply to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals.
In response, Dalton Utilities claims they were in full compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations.
Read the full lawsuit below:
Thursday we received a statement from 3M, one of the chemical companies also being sued.
The suit claims they provided the chemicals to the carpet manufacturers.
3M says:
"As indicated in the court documents, the focus of this litigation is drinking water in the City of Rome. There are no allegations in the lawsuit about Dalton’s drinking water. 3M will vigorously defend our record of environmental stewardship in this litigation."
In response to the lawsuit, Shaw Industries denies that it currently uses "forever chemicals" at its facilities and denies that industrial waste--water discharged from its plants contains "high levels" of those chemicals.
Read their full response below: