CIRCLEVILLE, OH — Circleville city leaders are preparing to make a final decision on Tuesday on a major overhaul of the city’s water treatment plant, a move driven by aging infrastructure and new federal drinking water regulations targeting PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
While the upgrades are expected to result in higher water bills for residents, city officials say the long-term payoff will be cleaner, safer, and higher-quality drinking water — along with potential savings for homeowners who currently rely on water softeners and use bottled water.
The issue is not unique to Circleville. Communities across the country are facing similar challenges following new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules issued under the Biden-Harris Administration in 2024. Those rules established the first-ever legally enforceable national drinking water standards for PFAS, a class of chemicals linked to cancers, liver and heart damage, immune system suppression, and developmental harm in infants and children.
Under the new regulations, public water systems must begin taking action by 2027, with full compliance required by 2031. The EPA set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS — the lowest level that can currently be reliably measured — while also setting a long-term health-based goal of zero.
PFAS, or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are a large group of man-made chemicals used for their water, grease, and stain-resistant properties in many products like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and firefighting foams, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment or the human body, potentially causing serious health issues like cancer and immune problems, leading to concerns about contamination in water and food supplies. They don’t degrade, accumulating in soil, water (drinking water), wildlife, and humans.
Circleville’s current PFAS levels measure approximately 1.35 ppt, below the initial enforceable threshold. However, federal regulators have made it clear that stricter limits are likely in the future, while technology for measurement arises, prompting cities to plan ahead.
During recent City Council discussions, Public Utilities Service Jim Stanley and Public Services Utilities Brian Frost explained that the proposed upgrades would modernize the water plant using reverse-osmosis membrane technology. Consultants estimate the system would dramatically soften the city’s water — reducing hardness from about 380 mg/L to 120–130 mg/L — while also lowering PFAS levels.
“That level of improvement could eliminate the need for many home water softeners,” Frost said, noting residents could see savings on salt, maintenance, and appliance wear. Officials compared the expected water quality to bottled water standards.
The Circleville Water Treatment Plant was originally built in 1962 and expanded in the early 1990s. A recent operations and needs analysis found several critical processes now in “imminent failure” status, highlighting years of deferred maintenance. City officials acknowledged that historically modest or nonexistent rate increases kept bills below regional averages, but also forced the utility into a reactive maintenance mode rather than a proactive one.
Consultants urged the city to act sooner rather than later, stressing that early action improves Circleville’s chances of securing state and federal grants and low-interest loans tied to PFAS and emerging contaminant mitigation. As more Ohio communities face the same mandates, those funding sources are expected to become far more competitive, and they are limited.
If approved, the project would address both challenges facing the city: an aging water plant nearing the end of its functional life and federally mandated PFAS standards that are reshaping water systems nationwide, while thrusting Citizens into cleaner healther water for the foreseeable future.
City leaders say the end result would be fewer mineral deposits on fixtures, softer water throughout homes, and cleaner drinking water with reduced PFAS — even if it comes with higher monthly bills.
Below is my first report on this during the first reading in November, which includes data
