Our communities are facing a crisis we didn’t cause. In cities like Apple Valley and Hastings, families are being told their water bills will skyrocket — not because of overuse, but because of a toxic chemical contamination they had nothing to do with.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” have been found in nearly half of Apple Valley’s drinking water wells and throughout Hastings’ water system. These substances are linked to cancer, liver damage, and birth defects. And they’re notoriously expensive to remove from public water supplies.

Now, Apple Valley is facing a $100 million cleanup bill — and without full support from the state and federal government, that cost will fall on residents. Quarterly water bills could more than double, from $75 to over $160 per household. In Hastings, rate hikes are already happening to fund the first of several needed treatment plants.

This is environmental injustice, plain and simple. These towns are not the source of the pollution. They’ve done nothing to deserve this financial burden — and yet they’re the ones being told to pay for it.

We’re calling on the Minnesota Legislature, Governor Tim Walz, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately allocate full funding for PFAS removal in small cities like Apple Valley and Hastings. That includes fulfilling bonding requests, expanding grant programs, and treating this situation as the public health emergency it is.

Clean water is not a luxury. It is a human right. No community should be forced to choose between health and affordability. And no family should be stuck footing the bill for pollution they didn’t cause.

We urge our elected leaders to act now — before more small towns are pushed to the brink.

Sign this petition if you agree: The people of Apple Valley, Hastings, and other affected communities deserve clean, safe water — and they should not be forced to pay for a cleanup they didn’t create.

Photo: Angelina Katsanis/Minnesota Star Tribune