Chatt TFP: PFAS levels at Dalton Utilities treatment plant revealed by testing
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Testing shows PFAS levels at Dalton Utilities treatment plant
9 hours, 17 minutes ago by David Floyd
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Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Visitors arrive for a town hall meeting in the Cloer Barn on June 12, 2025, in Chatsworth, Ga.
Recent testing at a Dalton Utilities water treatment plant indicates two kinds of so-called forever chemicals are above a yet-to-be implemented limit set by the federal government.
Sampling at the V.D. Parrott Water Treatment Plant in November 2024, February 2025, May 2025 and September 2025 indicates the average results for two prevalent types of PFAS — PFOS and PFOA — range from about 4.3-5.3 parts per trillion. That's higher than a maximum contaminant level of four parts per trillion that the federal government plans to start enforcing in 2031.
A sample taken in February 2025 was below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit of four parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA, and the other three samples collected in November 2024, May 2025 and September 2025 were higher than that threshold. The new limit is based on the average of four quarterly samples taken over a 12-month period.
Samples were also collected on those dates at the Freeman Springs Water Treatment Plant, another facility operated by Dalton Utilities. All four of those results were below four parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA.
(READ MORE: Georgia bill that would consolidate PFAS lawsuits faces backlash)
Test results at the V.D. Parrott Water Treatment Plant
PFOA
— November 2024: 4.7 parts per trillion
— February 2025: less than 4
— May 2025: 4.1
— September 2025: 8.4
PFOS
— November 2024: 4.5 parts per trillion
— February 2025: less than 4
— May 2025: 4.5
— September 2025: 8.4
Source: Georgia Environmental Protection Division
One part per trillion is roughly equal to one drop of ink in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS were used for years in commercial products like carpets, fast food wrappers and cookware because of their heat- and stain-resistant properties. They're also called forever chemicals because they can linger in the environment for decades, if not centuries.
Studies have indicated the chemicals may increase the risk of certain cancers, cause developmental delays in children and reduce the body's ability to fight infections, according to the EPA. For a long time, water utilities haven't had the technology necessary to filter PFAS out of the water supply.
The EPA announced the new limits in 2024, and it initially planned to begin enforcing them in 2029, although the agency has since indicated it will extend the compliance date to 2031.
The V.D. Parrott plant treats water from the Conasuaga River and multiple water storage reservoirs.
"Though Dalton Utilities did not use or profit from PFAS and PFAS-containing products, Dalton Utilities is taking action to address the harm to infrastructure and the environment resulting from the actions of others," the utility said in a statement Monday. "This includes holding those responsible for PFAS contamination accountable with legal action."
At the same time, the agency said, Dalton Utilities is working to evaluate technologies to treat or remove PFAS contaminants in two completely separate water systems — its drinking water and its wastewater treatment. It's assessing how to best remediate PFAS contamination in the environment in consultation with regulators and experts.
Staff file photo / A creek on Amber and LeRoy Fletcher's property contains high levels of PFAS, according to testing.
The agency is now in engaged in pilot testing at both its wastewater treatment and drinking water systems. For its drinking water, Dalton Utilities is setting up small scale systems each with a different method of removing PFAS. The collected data allows officials to determine the efficiency of PFAS removal and the costs for infrastructure construction and ongoing operations.
The public utility is actively engaged in testing at this point and has not determined the best solution.
"Dalton Utilities, similar to other local utilities, is testing market available technologies for treating or removing PFAS in drinking water in coordination with engineering consultants and state regulators," the agency said.
Those technologies include granular activated carbon, ion exchange, power activated carbon and reverse osmosis.
In 2024, the public utility sued chemical manufacturers and two major flooring makers based in Dalton, Georgia — Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries. Dalton Utilities alleged the companies were responsible for contaminating the wastewater system with PFAS. It was taking legal action to ensure it has the funds necessary to remedy these harms and continue to provide an essential public service to residents, the lawsuit said.
A Dalton couple, Amber and LeRoy Fletcher, is also part of a lawsuit aiming to recoup the cost of cleaning up their property. Testing indicated the creek near the Fletchers' house contains 7,600 parts per trillion of the compounds, and sampling determined the soil contained 32,000 parts per trillion, the family said.
Amber Fletcher said Monday that Dalton Utilities' samples are still too high, noting the family already has a toxic load of PFAS on their property. The compounds can build up over time in the human body. The couple has six kids and has been working to reduce exposure, throwing out their nonstick pans and buying water from Walmart.
"We are trying to limit as much as we can," Fletcher said in a phone call.
Contact business reporter David Floyd at dfl...@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
Staff file photo / Evidence of contamination rests on the surface of a stream near Threadmill Lake in Dalton, Ga.
David Floyd is a business reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2017 and previously worked for the Johnson City Press. He is the second youngest of six siblings. Contact him at 423-757-6249 or dfl...@timesfreepress.com.