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Federal money headed to Tucson to address PFAS, lead pipes and other water issues

A giant metal tube
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
A giant metal tube carries untreated groundwater into the warehouse where it's cleaned at the TARP facility in Tucson's south side.

More federal money is on the way to the Tucson area for water treatment projects. 

Local and federal entities in Tucson have already spent years cleaning up groundwater contamination from a chemical called TCE. Local authorities are also testing and cleaning water for PFAS — a group of human-made chemicals linked to cancer and other health issues.

Almost $112 million is coming from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law now. It will go toward projects like treating for PFAS and other emerging contaminants, replacing lead service lines in Tucson and other clean water initiatives around the state.

The funding builds on existing efforts to address groundwater contamination in Tucson. Last fall, the EPA announced a $30 million investment to help build a new PFAS treatment facility.

Alisa Reznick is a senior field correspondent covering stories across southern Arizona and the borderlands for the Tucson bureau of KJZZ's Fronteras Desk.