MADISON COUNTY WATER WATCH
What is Superfund?
E.P.A. - Environmental Protection Agency
Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites include manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining sites.
In the late 1970s, toxic waste dumps such as Love Canal and Valley of the Drums received national attention when the public learned about the risks to human health and the environment posed by contaminated sites.
In response, Congress established the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980.
CERCLA is informally called Superfund. It allows EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work.
When there is no viable responsible party, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites.
Superfund’s goals are to:
Learn more about the process EPA uses to clean up Superfund sites.
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How Madison County Water Watch Got Started:
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It all began at a City Council Meeting on October 22, 2024. That night, we learned more about the water in Anderson, Indiana than we ever expected—and what we heard had our heads spinning. The one thing that stood out most was hearing about Forever Chemicals—specifically PFAS and PFOS.
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When the Director of Anderson's Water Department admitted that our water had been testing high in PFOS since 2022, that was the turning point. In that moment, it became clear: the water problems in our community weren't just due to old, rusty pipes. This was something much bigger.
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Driven by concern and curiosity, many of us began digging through local history to uncover the truth. The deeper we looked, the more alarming the story became—layers upon layers of contamination, neglect, and hidden dangers going back decades.
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The moment that truly catapulted us into activism came in early 2025, when a former teammate stumbled upon a TikTok video about Superfund sites. What we discovered next changed everything: Anderson is home to a National Priority List Superfund site—a designation reserved for some of the most contaminated places in the country.
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That discovery was the final confirmation that we were facing a full-blown water crisis in Madison County—one that had been hidden in plain sight. From that point on, we knew we couldn’t stay quiet. We had a duty to raise awareness, demand accountability, and fight for clean, safe water for everyone in our community.
Here is a link to the most recent test results we could find. It says that we are non-compliant. Are we compliant or non-compliant? I could have sworn they keep trying to assure us that we are fine, but some of us keep getting yellowish brown water from our Tap Water June-July 2025.
Detailed Facility Report ANDERSON WWTP
Related Reports
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