The PFAS Crisis That Blindsided Bennington
In early 2016, residents in Bennington, Vermont started getting letters they never expected. Their well water — the water they’d been drinking, cooking with, bathing in for years — contained PFOA at levels that exceeded state health advisories. The source: a former ChemFab facility on Water Street, later owned by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics.
The discovery didn’t come from routine testing. It came after similar PFAS contamination was found at a Saint-Gobain facility in Hoosick Falls, New York, just across the state line. Vermont health officials, connecting the dots, began testing wells near the Bennington plant. What they found was alarming.
What Contaminated Bennington’s Water
The ChemFab facility manufactured coated fabrics using PTFE (the same family of chemicals as Teflon) from the 1960s through 2002. The manufacturing process used PFOA — perfluorooctanoic acid — as a processing aid. For decades, PFOA-laden emissions settled on surrounding properties, and waste disposal practices allowed the chemical to leach into groundwater.
PFOA belongs to the broader class of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. They accumulate in the human body over time and have been linked to kidney cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, pregnancy complications, and immune system suppression.
How Bad Is the Contamination?
The scope of Bennington’s PFAS problem turned out to be significant:
- Hundreds of private wells in the area tested above Vermont’s health advisory level of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA
- Some wells showed PFOA concentrations exceeding 1,000 ppt — more than 50 times the state advisory
- The contamination plume extends across a wide area south and east of the former facility
- Both PFOA and other PFAS compounds were detected in affected wells
Vermont set one of the nation’s strictest PFAS standards. The state’s combined PFAS standard of 20 ppt (for five PFAS compounds total) is well below the EPA’s previous health advisory of 70 ppt and aligns with the federal MCLs finalized in 2024.
The Response
After the contamination was confirmed, multiple response actions followed:
- Bottled water was provided to affected households as an immediate measure
- Point-of-entry treatment systems (granular activated carbon filters) were installed on hundreds of homes with contaminated wells
- Municipal water line extensions were planned and partially completed to connect affected neighborhoods to the Bennington public water supply
- The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designated the site for investigation and cleanup
- Saint-Gobain was identified as the responsible party and has been funding remediation efforts, including well testing, filter installation, and water line extensions
- The EPA listed the site on the National Priorities List (Superfund) in 2019
The cleanup is ongoing. Groundwater monitoring continues, and the treatment systems on private wells require regular maintenance and filter replacement.
Bennington’s Public Water Supply
It’s worth noting that Bennington’s municipal water system, which draws from surface water reservoirs in the Green Mountains, has not been affected by the PFAS contamination. The issue is specifically with private wells in the area surrounding the former ChemFab facility.
However, Bennington’s public system has its own challenges. Like many New England towns, the distribution infrastructure is aging. Lead service lines remain a concern in older neighborhoods, and the town has been working on replacement programs consistent with the EPA’s revised Lead and Copper Rule.
What Residents Should Know
If you live in Bennington and rely on a private well:
- Get your water tested for PFAS. The Vermont DEC has conducted extensive testing, but if you haven’t had your well tested — or if it’s been a few years — request an update. Contact the Vermont Department of Health or the Bennington Regional Planning Commission.
- If you have a treatment system installed, maintain it. Granular activated carbon filters lose effectiveness over time and need regular replacement.
- Understand your exposure history. If you’ve been drinking contaminated well water for years, talk to your doctor about PFAS blood testing and any recommended health screenings.
- Check if you’re eligible for the municipal water connection. The water line extension project has been connecting affected homes to the public supply, which eliminates the ongoing risk.
The Bigger Picture
Bennington’s contamination is part of a much larger national PFAS reckoning. Similar contamination from industrial facilities, military bases, and firefighting foam has been documented in thousands of communities across the country. The EPA’s 2024 PFAS drinking water standards — setting enforceable maximum contaminant levels for PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS — represent the most significant federal action on the issue to date.
For Bennington, the cleanup will take years. PFAS doesn’t break down naturally, and groundwater remediation is slow, expensive work. But the response has been more proactive than in many communities, partly because Vermont moved early on PFAS regulation and partly because the responsible party has been identified and is funding remediation.
If you’re concerned about your water quality in Bennington or anywhere in southern Vermont, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on the right filtration or treatment solution for your situation.
Sources: Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, EPA Superfund program, Vermont Department of Health PFAS investigation reports, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)