PFAS chemicals show up in all kinds of things: non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam. They’ve been dubbed “forever” chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, making them very hard to get rid of. And they’re showing up in our water.

Scientists are still discovering the health risks of PFAS, but research suggests that PFAS exposure increases the risk of kidney and testicular cancer. The CDC says most of us have been exposed to PFAS at some point.

The Madison Water Utility plans to install a PFAS-removing filter at one well that they shut down due to contamination. It’ll cost $6 million dollars. Producer Dylan Brogan caught up with Joe Grande, Water Quality Manager with the Madison Water Utility, to learn how it’ll work.

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Madison’s Trying to Clean PFAS From Our Water. It’s Not Easy.