The Association of California Water Agencies urged its members to Opt-Out of a settlement agreement with DuPont regarding suits filed for Polyfluoroalkyl, PFAS, that contaminated drinking water supplies.

The court overseeing the settlement has released a Notice Administrator Report indicating that a mere 170 out of 1,000 Opt-Out requests files by water agencies were accepted. In response, the court released an order to provide additional guidelines to the Notice Administrator for reviewing Opt-Out request compliance.

Water agencies seeking the status of their filing for the PFAS settlement can call the hotline at (855) 972-9592.

Deadlines requesting exclusion, or the chance to Opt-Out of the settlement have passed, based on the settlement website at www.pfaswatersettlement.com. Anyone who submitted a Request for Exclusion from the DuPont settlement can withdraw that request on or before March 1, 2024.

DuPont is one of three chemical manufacturing companies that jointly reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve suits for polluting numerous U.S. drinking water systems with the potentially harmful compounds know as PFAS, sometimes referred to as the “Forever Chemicals” because of they do not break down naturally in the environment and can build up in the human body over time.

The settlement is planned to establish a fund to compensate water providers for contamination with the chemicals. The companies will also be responsible for monitoring their systems for the chemicals.

This settlement is still subject to approval Multidistrict Litigation Judge Richard M. Gergel of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals used in a variety of industries and products including firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, and waterproof clothing.

Repeated exposure to these chemicals can lead to serious health risks such as kidney, prostate, or testicular cancer; thyroid problems, liver damage, and ulcerative colitis to name a few.