Washougal to receive $1.3M federal funds to fight PFAS

The city of Washougal will receive $1.3 million in federal funding to work toward removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, from its water supply.

The money will go toward design work for remediation on the city’s drinking water source wells.

The funding allocation — sponsored by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. — was included in federal appropriations legislation that has been passed by Congress, according to a news release.

“The $1.3 million takes a burden off of our customers and ratepayers,” Washougal Public Works Director Trevor Evers said. “That’s a pretty good-sized chunk to not be embedded in the utility rates.”

The city first detected PFAS in several of its wells in 2024. Known as “forever chemicals,” the contaminants have become a growing concern nationwide due to their persistence in the environment and potential health impacts. The city’s levels remain within Washington State Department of Health action limits, although some results periodically have exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s stricter 2031 standard of 4 parts per trillion, according to the news release.

“We’re confident that we’re going to meet those requirements and put them into service prior to those deadline dates,” Evers said.