Decatur, Alabama doesn’t get the national attention that Flint or Newark receive. But when it comes to PFAS contamination, few cities in America have it worse.
For decades, 3M Company and Daikin America operated manufacturing facilities in and around Decatur that produced or used PFAS chemicals. The result: PFAS concentrations in the Tennessee River and local groundwater that rank among the highest ever documented in a U.S. drinking water supply.
How Decatur Became a PFAS Hotspot
3M’s facility in Decatur manufactured PFAS compounds — including PFOS and PFOA — from the 1960s through the early 2000s. The company used the chemicals in products like Scotchgard and various industrial applications. Waste from the manufacturing process was discharged into the Tennessee River and disposed of at local landfills and wastewater treatment facilities.
Daikin America also operates a fluorochemical plant in Decatur that has been linked to PFAS releases.
The contamination wasn’t a secret to the companies involved. Internal 3M documents, revealed through litigation, showed the company had evidence of environmental contamination and health effects for years before the scope of the problem became public.
In 2016, the EPA issued health advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS at 70 parts per trillion (ppt) combined. Testing of Decatur’s water showed levels significantly above that threshold. Some raw water samples from the Tennessee River near Decatur tested at hundreds of parts per trillion — orders of magnitude above what many toxicologists consider safe.
The Scope of Contamination
The contamination in Decatur isn’t limited to the river. PFAS has been found in:
- Municipal drinking water drawn from the Tennessee River
- Groundwater near the 3M and Daikin facilities
- Wheeler Lake and Wilson Lake, impoundments on the Tennessee River used for recreation and fishing
- Fish tissue in the Tennessee River and its tributaries — Alabama has issued fish consumption advisories for portions of the river due to PFAS
- Soil at disposal sites where manufacturing waste was dumped
- The local wastewater treatment plant, which received industrial PFAS waste and then discharged it into the river, effectively recycling the contamination
The Morgan County and Lawrence County communities downstream of Decatur are also affected. This isn’t a one-city problem — it’s a regional one that follows the river.
What Decatur’s Water System Has Done
The Decatur Utilities Water Department, which serves about 55,000 people, draws its raw water from the Tennessee River. After PFAS was identified as a major concern, the utility invested in granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment to reduce PFAS levels in finished drinking water.
GAC filtration is effective at removing many PFAS compounds, though it requires regular media replacement to maintain performance. The investment has significantly reduced PFAS levels in the delivered water, but the contamination of the source water is ongoing.
The West Morgan-East Lawrence Water Authority, which serves communities near Decatur and also draws from the Tennessee River, was among the first water systems in the country to install GAC specifically for PFAS removal. Their experience became a case study in how small water systems deal with contamination they didn’t cause.
The Legal Battle
Decatur’s PFAS contamination has generated extensive litigation. The State of Alabama, local water authorities, and individual residents have filed suits against 3M and other responsible parties.
In 2023, 3M reached a $10.3 billion settlement with public water systems nationwide over PFAS contamination. Decatur-area water systems are among the beneficiaries. Separately, 3M agreed to a $98 million settlement specifically related to contamination in the Decatur area.
But settlements don’t eliminate the contamination. PFAS is extraordinarily persistent in the environment — the “forever chemical” label is scientifically accurate. The contamination in the Tennessee River basin will require ongoing treatment for decades, possibly longer.
Health Concerns
PFAS exposure has been linked to a range of health effects in epidemiological studies:
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Changes in liver enzyme function
- Increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer
- Thyroid hormone disruption
- Reduced immune response, including lower vaccine effectiveness
- Reproductive effects including reduced fertility and pregnancy-induced hypertension
Residents of the Decatur area have been exposed to elevated PFAS levels for decades through drinking water, fish consumption, and potentially through contact with contaminated soil and groundwater. The cumulative health impact is difficult to quantify, but community health studies have shown elevated blood serum PFAS levels compared to national averages.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has conducted exposure assessments in the Decatur area, and blood testing programs have been made available to affected residents.
New Federal Standards Raise the Stakes
The EPA’s 2024 PFAS drinking water rule set maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt for PFOA and 4 ppt for PFOS individually — dramatically stricter than the previous 70 ppt health advisory. A hazard index approach applies to additional PFAS compounds.
For Decatur’s water system, meeting these new standards requires continued investment in treatment technology. GAC is effective, but the lower the target level, the more frequently the media needs replacement — which drives up operating costs.
The silver lining, if there is one: the legal settlements mean that some of the treatment costs should be covered by the responsible parties rather than ratepayers alone.
What Residents Can Do
Decatur Utilities has invested in treatment to reduce PFAS in delivered water. But if you want additional protection at home:
Reverse osmosis systems are the most effective point-of-use option for PFAS removal, typically achieving greater than 90% reduction for most PFAS compounds.
Activated carbon filters — including some whole-house systems and under-sink units certified for PFAS — can also reduce levels, though effectiveness varies by filter type and PFAS compound.
Standard pitcher filters with activated carbon provide some PFAS reduction, but performance varies widely. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 certification specifically for PFOS and PFOA.
If you rely on a private well in the Decatur area, testing is especially important. Wells near the 3M facility, Daikin plant, or along the Tennessee River floodplain may have PFAS contamination that isn’t monitored by any public system.
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and recommend solutions matched to the specific contaminants present in your area.
The Long Road Ahead
Decatur’s PFAS contamination represents one of the most severe cases in the United States. The combination of decades of industrial discharge, a major river system as the contamination pathway, and widespread community exposure makes it a textbook case of what happens when chemical manufacturing operates without adequate environmental controls.
The treatment systems are working. The legal settlements are providing funding. But the Tennessee River will carry PFAS for a very long time, and Decatur’s water system will need to treat for it indefinitely. For residents, staying informed about your water utility’s testing results — and considering point-of-use treatment as an added safeguard — is a practical step in a situation that doesn’t have a quick fix.
Sources: EPA ECHO database, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, ATSDR PFAS exposure assessments, 3M settlement documents, West Morgan-East Lawrence Water Authority reports, EPA PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (2024).