100,000 North Alabama residents were told not to drink the tap water. Here's where that stands.

What are PFAS chemicals, and why are they called "forever chemicals"?

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals manufactured since the 1940s. They repel water and oil, which makes them useful in nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, firefighting foam, food packaging, and countless industrial applications. Their defining characteristic — extreme chemical stability — is what makes them so commercially appealing and what makes them so dangerous.

They don't break down in the environment. They don't break down in the human body. They accumulate over time in both. "Forever chemicals" is both the nickname and, for the companies that made them, the business model. The EPA now sets drinking water limits for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion — essentially as low as measurable — because research has concluded there is no truly safe level of exposure.

How did PFAS contaminate North Alabama's drinking water?

3M operated a manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama, producing PFAS chemicals for industrial and consumer use. For decades, those chemicals were released into the Tennessee River through wastewater — and made their way into the water systems that communities in western Morgan County and eastern Lawrence County drew from.

Testing in the mid-2000s found PFOA and PFOS concentrations at the West Morgan-East Lawrence Water and Sewer Authority at levels far exceeding safe thresholds. More than 100,000 residents were advised not to drink their tap water. It is worth noting that 3M's own internal research — conducted as early as the 1970s — had documented the health risks of PFAS exposure. The chemicals kept flowing anyway.

Daikin America and Toray Fluorofibers, both of which also operate manufacturing facilities in the Decatur area, have been named as defendants in related lawsuits alleging they contributed to regional PFAS contamination.

Are individual PFAS lawsuits still open in 2026?

Yes. As of early 2026, more than 15,000 individual lawsuits are consolidated in a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2873) in South Carolina, overseen by Judge Richard M. Gergel. These are personal injury claims filed by people who say they developed cancer or other serious conditions after drinking PFAS-contaminated water over extended periods.

A global settlement for individual claims has not yet been reached. Bellwether trials — the test cases that typically push both sides toward resolution — have been rescheduled. The litigation is moving, but the timeline remains uncertain. What is certain is that statutes of limitations apply, and they don't wait for a global settlement to get convenient.

The bottom line on North Alabama PFAS contamination

The North Alabama PFAS contamination is one of the most significant environmental health situations in Alabama's history. 3M knew its chemicals were toxic and kept manufacturing them. The Tennessee River carried them into the tap water of over 100,000 people. Water authorities have now been compensated and filtration systems are being built.

The individual human cost — cancer diagnoses, multigenerational health effects, decades of unknowing exposure — is still working its way through federal court. If you or a family member lived in the affected area and were diagnosed with a related condition, claims are still being filed. That window is not permanently open.