PFAS in Water: What to Check in Georgia

Federal PFAS claims are coordinated in MDL 2873 (In re: AFFF Products Liability Litigation) in the District of South Carolina (Charleston) before Judge Richard M. Gergel — geographically close to Georgia. Georgia plaintiffs and water utilities file directly into MDL 2873. Because D.S.C. is the home forum, Georgia claimants benefit from relatively convenient federal coordination, and state court claims remain available for state-law remedies.

Georgia water utilities affected by AFFF contamination from Robins AFB, Moody AFB, and Fort Benning (Columbus) area groundwater are eligible class participants. Georgia EPD has issued PFAS monitoring guidance following EPA's April 2024 MCL rulemaking.

Georgia's statute of limitations for personal injury is 2 years from the date of injury under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. For latent PFAS diseases, Georgia applies the discovery rule tolling limitations until the claimant knew or reasonably should have known of the injury and its connection to PFAS exposure. Given the 10–30 year latency of PFAS-linked cancers (kidney, testicular) and other conditions (thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis), legal consultation upon diagnosis is advisable.

Georgia's significant PFAS contamination sites include: Robins AFB (Warner Robins, Houston County — PFAS plumes affecting Warner Robins area water supply), Moody AFB (Valdosta, Lowndes County — PFAS contamination of Valdosta area groundwater), Fort Benning / Fort Moore (Columbus, Muscogee County), Dobbins Air Reserve Base (Marietta, Cobb County), and industrial carpet and textile manufacturing PFAS sources in the Rome–Dalton corridor (northwest Georgia's carpet industry historically used PFAS-based stain-resistance treatments).