Industrial chemicals known as PFAS have contaminated the water supply in Rome and Calhoun, Georgia. Researchers from Emory University tested 177 people between January and May 2025.
They found that 76 percent carried dangerous PFAS levels between 2 and 20 nanograms per milliliter—amounts that trigger mandatory health screenings, according to the National Academies.
Another 23 percent had even higher levels above 20 ng/mL, requiring intensive medical care. Most Americans carry PFAS levels below 2 ng/mL, making residents of Rome and Calhoun dramatically more contaminated. The contamination came from carpet manufacturers Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries in Dalton, Georgia, 50 miles upstream.
These companies have used PFAS for stain resistance and waterproofing since the 1940s. PFAS never breaks down in water or soil. Wastewater entered the local water system and passed through treatment facilities, which were unable to filter it. The chemicals traveled through soil into the Conasauga River, then into the Oostanaula River—Rome’s main drinking water source.
In November 2023, residents discovered this when they tested their blood and found elevated PFAS. They invited Emory professor Dana Barr to a community meeting. Barr collaborated with researchers Melanie Pearson and Noah Scovronick to secure funding from HERCULES, focusing on the study of environmental chemicals. The results shocked everyone.
Of the residents tested, 40.1 percent had PFOA levels higher than those of 95 percent of all Americans. Another 11.9 percent showed elevated PFHxS beyond the national average. Every decade that residents lived in the area, their PFAS blood levels increased by an average of 7.7 percent, with a 11 percent increase specifically in Floyd County.
A 50-year resident would show roughly 38 percent higher PFAS than a 10-year resident. This shows chronic ongoing exposure rather than a single event.
Cancer Risk and Health Guidelines
The National Academies published clinical guidelines in July 2022 that doctors follow for exposure to PFAS. Patients with PFAS levels between 2 and 20 ng/mL require prioritized screening, including lipid panels, blood pressure checks, breast cancer screening, and thyroid tests.
Those exceeding 20 ng/mL also need kidney cancer assessment for people 45 and older, testicular cancer screening for people 15 and older, and ulcerative colitis evaluation. In November 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer convened 30 experts who classified PFOA as “carcinogenic to humans”—the highest certainty category.
Evidence shows PFOA causes kidney cancer and testicular cancer in exposed people and laboratory animals. PFOS received a “possibly carcinogenic” classification. 40.1 percent of Rome residents with elevated PFOA face documented cancer risk.
Researchers discovered something crucial: residents who drank bottled or filtered water showed measurably lower PFAS blood levels than those drinking tap water, even long-term residents. This proved that the choice of water source reduces ongoing exposure.
However, wealthier residents could afford filtration or bottled water, while lower-income households remained exposed. Rome filed a lawsuit against carpet makers, chemical companies, and utilities.
Before trial in 2024, defendants settled for nearly $280 million—the largest PFAS settlement in U.S. history for a single water authority. Major defendants included 3M, DuPont, Shaw Industries, and Mohawk/Aladdin.
Settlement Brings Treatment and Lessons
The settlement funds financed the construction of a new water treatment facility utilizing reverse osmosis filtration. This process forces water through a semi-permeable membrane at high pressure, blocking PFAS and contaminants.
The Rome facility removes 99.9 percent of all PFAS from drinking water. Construction is expected to progress through 2025, with operational completion anticipated for late 2025 or early 2026.
The city distributed bottled water to pregnant women, young children, and individuals with compromised immune systems during the construction period. Emory researchers stressed their 2025 study measured only exposure levels, not health impacts.
They proposed follow-up studies comparing cancer rates, thyroid disease, kidney function, and PFAS-linked conditions in Rome versus control populations. This research requires additional funding and will necessitate years of ongoing monitoring.
Rome and Calhoun represent one case in a broader global crisis. The European Commission identified nearly 23,000 PFAS-contaminated sites in Europe; the United States has hundreds more. For public health officials nationwide, Rome’s experience demonstrates that preventing industrial PFAS use, monitoring contamination, and maintaining transparency are more effective than expensive litigation.
Sources:
European Commission, 2025
WRGA News, October 23, 2025
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2022
Emory University, June 2025
FPC Litigation Group, April 2024
Bloomberg, June 1, 2023