TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. — Community members packed a Temple Terrace town hall meeting Tuesday night as city leaders laid out what could become one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in city history: removing so-called “forever chemicals” from drinking water.
The meeting comes after months of concern over PFAS contamination in the city’s water system, a discovery that became public last year.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to cancer and other health concerns, according to the EPA.
Days earlier, consultants hired by the city recommended a major overhaul of Temple Terrace’s aging water system, including a new nanofiltration process designed to remove PFAS from drinking water.
However, the proposed long-term fix could cost more than $70 million.
The town hall gave community members an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal and ask questions directly about cost, timing, and what happens next.
“I’m more concerned about the generations to come and how it’s affecting already people here and how it’s going to continue affecting, and now it’s time sensitive,” said Temple Terrace community member Tara McDoniel.
City leaders emphasized that PFAS contamination is not unique to Temple Terrace and said there is no immediate health emergency.
Still, officials acknowledged the city faces a major challenge moving forward.
The EPA recently proposed giving some utilities until 2031 to comply with certain PFAS drinking water standards
“Time is of the essence,” Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross told Tampa Bay 28. “You know, 2031 sounds like a long time away, but this is a massive project.”
Ross said the city still has major decisions ahead, including the scope of work, contractor selection, funding strategies, and potential impacts on customers’ water bills.
“This is probably, in terms of money, the largest project in city history,” Ross said. “Obviously, you don’t spend this kind of money without having an impact on your rates, but I would like to minimize that impact.”
Meanwhile, some community members continue pushing for interim solutions to lower PFAS levels before the city’s long-term system overhaul is complete.
“There needs to be something in the interim to bring at least lower-level chemical water to us,” McDoniel said.
During the meeting, a consultant outlined possible interim solutions while the city works toward a long-term fix. One option would use temporary filtration vessels that consultants said could potentially reduce PFAS levels within three to six months, with an estimated four-year cost of about $12 million.
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