PFAS Grant Program Over the Past 5 Years

Click here for more information about the PFAS Grant Program.

PFAS are man-made chemicals with unique properties that make them useful for many consumer and industrial uses (e.g., waterproofing, non-stick surfaces). But those properties also make them persistent in the environment. PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam, personal products, and other substances are toxic and may get into the groundwater and surface water, potentially contaminating Colorado’s drinking water supplies. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects including low infant birth weights, cancer and negative effects on the immune system. 

The state continues to address PFAS issues through legislative-directed funding from Senate Bill 20-218. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Hazardous Substances Response Act (SB20-218) was signed into law on June 29, 2020 ( C.R.S. 8-20-206.5(7)). 

The act created fees on the transportation of fuel products, which will be collected between September 1, 2020, and September 30, 2031, when the available balance in the fund is less than nine million dollars. The collected fees are placed in the PFAS Cash Fund established by the legislative bill. The funding is managed by the Water Quality Control Division and can be used for the PFAS grant program, PFAS takeback program, and PFAS technical assistance to impacted communities.

The PFAS Grant Program provides funding opportunities to eligible entities through three (3) primary project categories: 

1. Sampling - standard sampling and Independent Environmental Studies;
2. Emergency Assistance - to communities and water systems affected by PFAS; and 
3. Infrastructure -water system infrastructure for the treatment of PFAS and prevention strategies for upstream sources of PFAS.

The PFAS grant program has awarded over 19 million dollars in grant funds to help communities across Colorado identify and mitigate PFAS in water. Some current and past projects include:

• Determining the impacts of firefighting foam, ski wax, and septic systems on source water. 
• Piloting PFAS treatment for drinking water systems and landfill leachate.
• Installation of filtered drinking water stations in schools.
• Several fish tissue sampling efforts.
• Over $3.5 million to identify and assess PFAS in drinking water, source water, and groundwater. 
• ~$12 million used to implement PFAS treatment for clean drinking water.

A full list of awarded projects can be found on the PFAS Grant Summaries webpage.  In addition, our annual legislative reports on the program progress can be found on the PFAS Laws webpage.

Any questions may be directed towards the cdphe_wqcd_pfas_grant@state.co.us email. Please use the subject line “Grant Program Questions.”

➽ Sierra Mitchell, PFAS Program Coordinator