Augusta Water Utility Sues Paper and Packaging Companies Over Alleged PFAS Contamination

The Greater Augusta Utility District has filed a federal lawsuit against several paper, tissue and packaging companies, alleging that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) released from industrial facilities over several decades contaminated groundwater supplying drinking water wells in the Augusta area.

The lawsuit names Sappi North America, Huhtamaki, Kimberly-Clark, American Tissue Mills of Maine and American Tissue Corp. It alleges that PFAS from multiple industrial sites entered the Kennebec River and connected groundwater systems, ultimately reaching the aquifer supplying the utility district’s riverside wells.

The district provides drinking water to approximately 13,750 residents in and around Augusta. The complaint does not attribute the alleged contamination to a single company or incident, instead claiming that multiple upstream sources contributed to the contamination.

Alleged pathways of PFAS contamination

According to the lawsuit, PFAS-containing materials associated with paper, packaging and tissue manufacturing entered the environment through wastewater discharges, sludge, landfill leachate, stormwater and other waste streams. The district alleges that the chemicals travelled downstream through the Kennebec River and migrated into the connected groundwater aquifer.

The companies named in the complaint operate or have operated facilities in the region, including Sappi North America’s Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, Huhtamaki’s manufacturing facility in Waterville, Kimberly-Clark’s former paper mill in Winslow, and a former mill in Augusta associated with American Tissue Mills of Maine and American Tissue Corp.

The district alleges that PFAS were detected in water from its wells in October 2021. By November 2024, test results had reportedly risen above Maine’s drinking water standard then in effect. The utility subsequently removed one of its wells from service and later installed a treatment system to address the contamination.

Allegations involving industrial facilities

The complaint includes allegations concerning PFAS in waste streams associated with specific facilities. It states that Maine environmental regulators detected PFAS in effluent and landfill leachate from Sappi’s Somerset Mill in 2023.

The district also alleges that Huhtamaki discharged PFAS-containing wastewater to the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District in Waterville and that the treatment system does not remove these compounds.

Sappi North America said it is reviewing the complaint. In a statement to the CBS13 I-Team, a company spokesperson said Sappi complies with applicable environmental regulations and state and federal discharge permits. The spokesperson also stated that the company does not knowingly use PFAS-containing materials in its products.

The other companies named in the lawsuit had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the report. The allegations have not been established as findings of liability.

Implications for the pulp and paper industry

The lawsuit highlights the environmental and regulatory challenges associated with PFAS, a broad group of persistent chemicals that have been used in various industrial and consumer applications. Their persistence in the environment and potential movement through surface water and groundwater have made them a growing concern for drinking water utilities and industrial operators.

For the pulp, paper, tissue and packaging sectors, the case underscores the importance of chemical-use assessments, wastewater management, effluent monitoring and the evaluation of historical waste-disposal practices. It also illustrates the potential for environmental liabilities to extend beyond individual manufacturing sites when contaminants move through interconnected river and groundwater systems.

The litigation is expected to bring further scrutiny to the alleged sources and pathways of contamination in the Kennebec River watershed, as well as the measures required to protect drinking water supplies in the Augusta area.