PFAS on the West Plains: Ecology approves water pickup plan for residents but calls it 'inadequate'

West Plains residents impacted by PFAS exposure will have to pick up clean water from a public facility after the state Department of Ecology relented on its alternate proposal to have the water delivered to them.

The agency ordered the city of Spokane, Spokane County and Spokane International Airport in February to provide uncontaminated drinking water to those affected by the airport's PFAS contamination. The two local governments jointly own the airport, which contaminated nearby groundwater with PFAS-laced firefighting foam.

Known as "forever chemicals," perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a set of human-made chemicals linked to cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, low birth weight and other diseases.

Central to Ecology's opposition to the initial plan was that it did not deliver clean, bottled water to residents. Instead, the plan provides all affected residents access to the city's water fill station on Garden Springs Road and large food-grade plastic containers.

Ecology believed many elderly residents would be physically incapable of hauling large containers to and from the fill station, which is accessed outdoors from a small building just off the interstate. They told the governments to provide "delivered bottled water service" to the residents. But the local governments' revised plan did not adhere to this demand when it was submitted April 3.

In the revised plan, the city and county argued the water fill station "provides a protective, conservative, and rapidly deployable approach."

"The intent of this action is to rapidly reduce potential exposure pathways without the barrier of providing a PFAS sample result, as an interim step until long-term remedies can be implemented," they wrote.

For these reasons, the governments will "retain the current framework," they wrote.

Despite refusing to adhere to Ecology's demands of this central complaint, Ecology is allowing the governments to move forward. The state agency continues to have major reservations over the approach.

"Several components of the work proposed continue to be inadequate and may not meet bare minimum emergency interim action response requirements," Ecology site manager Jeremy Schmidt wrote in a letter approving the plan. Requiring residents to fill their own water will negatively impact "vulnerable and overburdened populations," he added.

The plan was still approved "in the interest of providing relief to impacted residents as soon as possible," Schmidt wrote.

Now that the plan has been approved, West Plains residents will be allowed free access to the water fill station located at 4821 West Garden Springs Road within 30 days. Residents will be able to sign up for access by calling 311. Once an account is set up, residents will be provided with a PIN that allows access and two free, food-grade 5 -gallon containers.

Those eligible for the water and filtration systems include PFAS-affected residents west of the Spokane River and east of Hayford Road, north of Spokane International Airport and mostly south of Trails Road. A positive PFAS well water test is not required to receive access.

The plan also outlines continued well water testing and the provision of free point-of-use water filters at homes in the same area. Similar to a Brita filter, these countertop point-of-use-treatment devices would be a pitcher or countertop dispenser aimed to reduce PFAS concentrations.

In the approval letter, Ecology also stated the use of these filters would be "inadequate for larger households."

In a presentation to City Council last month, Public Works Director Marlene Feist said the water fill station would be a "bridge" towards the instillation of point-of-entry filtration systems on the properties of affected homes and businesses. These more comprehensive filtration systems will be provided through a $7.5 million state grant to the county and implemented by June 2027.

West Plains Water Coalition president John Hancock said the interim plan was "not workable" for many elderly residents on the West Plains.

"The airport is trying to comply without admitting fault. It is hard to discern if they are sincere in efforts to help the neighbors," Hancock said.

Spokane International Airport, the city and Spokane County wrote in a statement they were "working together to move forward with plans to begin to offer access to clean drinking water and start testing of private wells."

"As public entities, we must ensure wise use of public dollars, especially considering the expected long timeline for the overall effort of understanding and mitigating this problem. We are committed to being part of the solution, and we will have more information for residents and businesses soon," they wrote jointly.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 7:20 PM.