Council Special Study Session for PFAS/PFOA

The Prescott City Council held a special study session on October 5, 2026, to discuss the draft final PFAS/PFOA roadmap. Consultants recommended ion-exchange treatment as the preferred technology. The leading project is treatment at Airport Well 5, including pressure-restoration infrastructure, estimated at about $28 million in FY2029 dollars, with annual operating costs of roughly $500,000–$600,000. For the Chino wellfield, treating the highest-producing wells and upsizing them was estimated at about $27 million, compared with about $34 million for a centralized booster-pump alternative. The roadmap prioritizes Airport Well 5 and Chino Wells 3–5; connecting Airport Well 3 to Well 5 and treating Chino Wells 1–2 are lower-priority projects that could be deferred depending on water-quality trends. Consultants cautioned that long-lead equipment and the 2029 compliance deadline make timely design decisions important.

Funding discussed included approximately $3 million already received from litigation settlements, with total settlement proceeds estimated at $5–$6 million over time, and up to $5 million in ADEQ assistance for design and/or construction. The city is also exploring WIFA financing and other state and federal funding. A separate evaluation considered supplying water to three nearby small systems with PFAS concerns: conventional connections were estimated at about $15 million, a master-meter option at about $10 million, and a more limited master-meter approach that ADEQ indicated could be fully funded. Council members favored further consideration of the limited option but raised concerns about water conservation, future growth, and the need to review City Code §2-1.8 and any interconnect agreement. No awards, spending approvals, or formal votes were made. Follow-up issues raised included whether Airport Well 5 design could begin sooner, testing or monitoring at Big Chino, investigating possible contamination sources, and pursuing additional funding.