A proposed increase in Hastings water rates will help pay for the cleanup of PFAS in the drinking water system

Alex Cordes, a Hastings mother of four, including her youngest, 2-year-old Stevie, is concerned about PFAS — the so-called “forever chemicals” — in her tap water.

“It’s terrible,” she says. “You watch your kids clean or take a bath at night, (it) makes you feel bad.”

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says Hastings has one of eighteen water systems in the state with PFAS levels exceeding the EPA limit of four parts per trillion.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS PFAS chemicals have been reported in the east metro’s drinking water for years.

Experts say the chemicals don’t break down permanently in the environment and are linked to health problems, including low birth weight, liver disease and some cancers.

Much of the pollution is attributed to 3M, which is paying billions of dollars to help clean it up.

Now, Hastings officials plan to build three water treatment plants to filter chemicals at a cost of $70 million.

Public Works Director Ryan Stempsky says each treatment plant will take about eighteen months to build.

“So we try to be transparent about the process,” he says. “We must start to act to provide the public with clean, safe drinking water.”

But when the snow falls, Hastings residents could potentially see their water bills go up — a proposed ten percent increase to help pay for the first treatment plant.

The proposed increase is scheduled for a Dec. 2 Hastings City Council vote^n.d.

“The ten percent increase is intended to cover the portion of the wastewater treatment plant that is not covered by 3M,” Stempski notes.

Just a few weeks ago, trustees of the 3M Settlement Fund found evidence that one of Hastings’ city wells was connected to the 3M landfill — thus costing $14.5 million to clean up that well.

City officials say that offset what could have been a 37% increase in water rates.

Still, Cordes is concerned about the current proposed increase.

“For just 10%, that’s an extra $50-$60 a quarter, which doesn’t seem like much,” she says. “But if you add to that the costs of groceries, extracurricular activities, daycare.”

Hastings, like other communities affected by PFAS, faces a five-year EPA deadline to deliver PFAS-free water to its residents.

Stempski says city staff are looking into state and federal funding sources.

At the same time, he notes that the city is trying to help.

“We will try to provide a PFAS-free water service that will be like a gas station for our residents,” he explains. “If we can get compensation through additional efforts, we will continue to give it back to residents.”

Cordes says she appreciates the city’s efforts, but hopes there’s a way to lower those water bills.

And, he says, he worries about the future.

“How long have we been drinking and bathing in this water, and what will be the consequences when our children grow up?” she asks. “A terrible, terrible thought.”