PFAS are man-made chemicals used to make a variety of products like nonstick cookware, stain-resistant clothes and firefighting foam.  

This so called “forever chemical” is harmful to both health and the environment. Traces of it are found in air, soil and water across the nation, including Guam. 

Consolidated Commission on Utilities member Simon Sanchez said, “PFAS is the dominant issue of the day if you’re in the water business. It’s throughout the United States. They’re saying trillions of dollars is going to be have to be spent to treat all the PFAS.”

To prevent thousands of deaths and illnesses, the US Environmental Protection Agency is requiring Public Water Utilities to test and treat six PFAS chemicals in drinking water within a 5 year timeframe. 

Sanchez said it will cost Guam Waterworks Authority about $100 million to treat PFAS in our contaminated waterwells. 

“We have a plan where it will approach $100 million over the next five or six years. it’s about 10 or 11 percent of our total capital improvement plan that we’re considering and really moving on at GWA,” said Sanchez

He added in the next five to eight years, ratepayers could be seeing an estimated 90% increase in your water bill. 

Sanchez also said, “But we are working with the legislature, Senator Sabina Perez and Senator Joe San Agustin, about assisting us with the type of financing we can use to reduce that rate increase by about a third.”

But the bottom line, Sanchez said there still needs to be investment in our water system. 

It’s the cost of clean and safe water that must be beared.