The Portland Water District is joining a lawsuit against several manufacturers of so-called "forever chemicals."
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in South Carolina, the district says it's looking to recover the costs of remediating PFAS contamination in its wastewater treatment system.
The complaint alleges that manufacturers, including 3M and DuPont, were aware that the chemicals would be released into the environment, and should have known they would threaten public health.
The district says that while there is no measurable PFAS in drinking water in Greater Portland, the chemicals have been found in the region's wastewater at a level above 15 parts per trillion.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to several health effects, including increased risk of certain cancers.
