Community Organizing Guide: Responding to PFAS Contamination
A practical four-week plan to take you from discovering PFAS in your water to building a community group that can sustain pressure for years.
Week 1: Research and understand
Search your zip code at CheckYourWater.org. Download the PDF report card.
Read the full system detail page. Note which compounds were detected, their levels vs limits, and how many people your system serves.
If your city has an investigation article on CheckYourWater, read it for historical context.
Check your state’s page on CheckYourWater to see how your community compares to others in the state.
Week 2: Connect and build
Share the CheckYourWater report with 5 to 10 neighbors, friends, or parents at your child’s school. Ask if they knew about the testing results.
Start a group chat or email thread with interested neighbors. Even 3 to 5 committed people is enough to start.
Find out when your city council and water board next meet. Look up your council members’ names and contact information.
Week 3: Go public
Send the city council letter (use our template). Send it individually to each council member.
File a public records request with your water utility (use our template).
Attend the next council or water board meeting. Bring your group. Use our speaking guide.
Contact your local newspaper. A reporter covering city hall will be interested in residents raising PFAS concerns.
Week 4 and beyond: Sustain pressure
Follow up on your records request if you haven’t received a response.
Follow up with council members who haven’t responded to your letter.
Attend subsequent meetings. Ask for updates on treatment plans, timelines, and costs.
Share updates with your group and with CheckYourWater (email hello@checkyourwater.org) so we can add them to the city’s “What Happened Next” timeline.
Connect with statewide environmental groups who may be working on PFAS legislation.
Setting expectations
Municipal water treatment projects typically take 2 to 5 years from decision to completion. Treatment technologies (granular activated carbon, reverse osmosis, ion exchange) are proven but require capital investment, engineering design, and construction.
The federal compliance deadline is 2029. That means your utility is required to have treatment in place by then. Your advocacy can accelerate that timeline and ensure your community isn’t left waiting until the last possible moment.
Persistence matters more than perfection. Showing up consistently, at meetings, in emails, in the local paper, is what moves municipal government.