About 300 communities across the country are poised to receive the 3M settlement funds to remove PFAS by building new or improved water filtration facilities.

On June 22, 3M reached a $10.3 settlement with about 300 communities over the company’s manufacturing and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). There are approximately 5,000 PFAS in use in a wide variety of common commercial products like cosmetics, apparel, carpeting, sealants, and fire-retardants.

3M pledged to pay out the funds over 13 years to communities to test for and clean up PFAS in public water supplies. That stated, this is not likely the last lawsuit that 3M or PFAS manufacturing companies will have to settle. There are several thousand alone pending against 3M.

Construction contractors in the drinking water market will likely see more funds over time either through these suits or government programs incentivizing PFAS filtration and clean up.