HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Henrico County leaders have received $1 million in federal funding to bring public water to dozens of residents who rely on private wells. The investment comes after neighbors experienced several well water challenges, including the contamination of PFAS, often called “forever chemicals." For many residents in eastern Henrico, private wells are their only source of drinking water. This has created difficulties for some homeowners as drought conditions have affected water levels. “During summers, during droughts, we don’t have enough water that goes into our wells. It gets too low for the pump to pump, so you do without water,” said Randall Rains, who lives on Red Coach Lane in Sandston. Rains has relied on his well for more than 30 years. He says he and several neighbors also faced concerns about possible contamination when traces of PFAS were detected in dozens of private wells in 2021. Private shallow wells used by residents on Red Coach Lane in Sandston. (Photo: 8News) PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are long-lasting chemicals used in a wide range of products. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to some PFAS may be associated with health effects, such as cancer. “We had a challenge with PFAs in a very concentrated area, and this is one of those areas where PFAs was found outside of White Oak Swamp, and so, we committed to these residents that we would do everything possible,” said Henrico County supervisor Tyrone Nelson. While the county has offered free well water testing and installed filter systems at impacted wells, many residents say they've been asking to connect to public water for years. “When I first asked about getting county water, they said, 'Well we can but it will be expensive and everybody in the neighborhood will have to sign on; we just can’t do it piecemeal,' so that never happened, of course,” Rains said. Now, leaders say the investment will extend the White Oak water system to give Rains and 40 other households the option to connect to the county’s water at no cost to them. “This is great news. I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Rains said. Phase one of the project will extend 4.5 miles of the overall 35 miles of public water lines to residents. This phase is expected to be completed sometime between December and January. The investment is part of over $10 million in federal funding for statewide community projects. Nelson said this funding helps the county build on progress its made to transition more residents from private wells to county water. He said the county received more than $64 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding in 2021. Nelson said those funds were dedicated to projects that allowed about 400 residents to connect to county water. He said many of those projects have been completed and nearly all of that funding has been used. "These investments are part of our county's broader commitment to making sure that our public water system is not only accessible, but it is reliable and resilient for all of our residents," Nelson said. The full project is expected to be completed by next summer. ...read more read less