A federal lawsuit over PFAS contamination of Summerville’s drinking water supply continues moving toward trial after a federal judge rejected efforts by major chemical manufacturers to dispose of significant portions of the case.

The lawsuit dates back to 2021 and centers on PFAS contamination discovered in Raccoon Creek, the primary source of drinking water for the City of Summerville. The case was originally filed by Summerville resident Earl Parris Jr., with the City of Summerville later joining the lawsuit.

The remaining defendants include some of the largest chemical manufacturers in the country, including 3M Company, Daikin America, DuPont and Chemours. The plaintiffs allege PFAS-containing products manufactured or supplied by the companies were used in textile operations at Mount Vernon Mills in Trion and ultimately contributed to contamination of the Raccoon Creek watershed. Those allegations remain contested.

A significant development came this summer when U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. ruled on motions for summary judgment filed by 3M and Daikin.

On July 10, the judge denied 3M’s motion for summary judgment, allowing the claims at issue against the company to continue. The ruling means Summerville and Parris may continue seeking monetary damages and, as named plaintiffs, alternative injunctive relief against 3M. The judge also ruled that questions concerning certain future damages should be left for a jury.

The court separately granted part and denied part of Daikin America’s motion for summary judgment, meaning significant claims against Daikin also remain alive.

Court records provide additional detail about how the plaintiffs contend PFAS reached Summerville’s water.

According to the court, Mount Vernon Mills is the largest industrial user of the Trion Wastewater Treatment Plant. Wastewater from the plant is treated before water is discharged into the Chattooga River, while sludge historically was either sent to a landfill or applied to farmland as fertilizer.

Some of those land-application sites were located within the Raccoon Creek watershed.

Court records state that in January 2020, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division notified Summerville that testing had detected PFOS and PFOA in raw and finished drinking water from Raccoon Creek at levels exceeding the EPA health advisory then in effect. Trion stopped applying sludge on properties within the Raccoon Creek watershed the following month.

The litigation also has a direct financial connection to Summerville water customers.

In September 2025, the federal court certified a damages class covering City of Summerville water and sewer ratepayers from January 2020 through the date of class certification. The plaintiffs are seeking recovery for past costs associated with the contamination, while Summerville is also pursuing claims related to treatment of its water supply.

The city has used a temporary treatment system to address PFAS while the litigation has continued. The case includes claims seeking costs associated with a more permanent filtration solution capable of removing PFAS from the city’s drinking water.

The case has been working its way through federal court for more than five years, generating extensive discovery, expert testimony and numerous rulings.

Some defendants have previously reached partial settlements, but the litigation against the remaining chemical manufacturers continues.

The latest rulings are important because they leave key questions unresolved for a jury rather than ending the case in favor of the manufacturers.

No finding of liability against the remaining defendants is established by these rulings. Instead, the court has determined that enough disputed issues remain for significant portions of Summerville’s PFAS claims to proceed.

The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Rome Division.