What Dayton Is Doing
about PFAS

WHAT ARE PFAS?

Short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.

These “Forever Chemicals” can be found all around us:

In food packaging, clothing, children’s toys, fire fighting foams, and paint.

These chemicals are difficult to avoid and can be found throughout the environment, including air, soil, and water.

2016
2016
2016
  • Implemented groundwater sampling program to investigate and track PFAS contamination
  • Engaged the Air Force, US EPA, and Ohio EPA in collaborative work sessions to develop a regional PFAS remediation strategy for the PFAS plume from WPAFB
2016-2018
2016-2018
2016-2018
  • Installed over 150 monitoring wells to better define the extent of PFAS contamination
2018
2018
2018
  • Commissioned a feasibility study to understand potential treatment options to address PFAS
2019
2019
2019
  • Filed a lawsuit against the chemical manufacturers of PFAS
2020
2020
2020
  • Filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense
2021
2021
2021
  • Became the first municipal lab in Ohio to obtain certification to analyze PFAS, saving the City more than $100,000 per year in analytical costs
  • Participated with US EPA and Ohio EPA to review WPAFB’s remediation projects, which aim to reduce the PFAS migration from the base to Dayton’s wellfield
2022
2022
2022
  • Nominated PFAS-related projects totaling $14.9 million to the Ohio EPA for federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding
2023
2023
2023
  • Nominated PFAS-related projects totaling more than $28 million to the Ohio EPA for federal BIL funding
  • Worked with US EPA Office of Research and Development to develop pilot project for PFAS treatment
  • Received $3.5 million through Ohio EPA for federal BIL funding to investigate PFAS treatment at Ottawa Treatment Plant
2024
2024
2024

 

  • On April 10, 2024, the U.S. EPA issued new MCLs for five PFAS compounds in drinking water
  • Water utilities have five years from the date of issuance to be in compliance with the MCL regulations
  • Nominated PFAS-related projects totaling $54 million to the Ohio EPA for federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding
  • Receiving $4 million for the Water Quality Lab expansion through additional federal funding
  • Participated in Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5) with the US EPA Link to USEPA UCMR 5 website
 
 
2023
ONGOING EFFORTS
ONGOING EFFORTS
  • Utilizing the groundwater sampling program results to continuously evaluate and improve the City’s PFAS mitigation efforts
  • Engaging with the Air Force, US EPA, and Ohio EPA in collaborative work sessions to protect our regional water supply from PFAS
  • Monitoring of the PFAS plumes originating from WPAFB and requesting additional remediation projects to cut off the PFAS plumes that threaten the wellfield
  • Continuing to seek funding opportunities to address PFAS, including ongoing litigation to have the remediation costs covered by the PFAS manufacturers and other responsible parties instead of our rate-payers

For additional information about PFAS, please visit: www.epa.gov/pfas