COLLINSVILLE – Hundreds of Collinsville residents packed a city council meeting Tuesday, where many asked local leaders and a panel of experts about newfound contamination from “forever chemicals” in the city’s water supply, and last month’s recommendation that citizens filter water, potentially until 2029.

Questions focused on the health risks faced by the community, and also on whether financial assistance will be available to help residents pay for filters to remove the chemicals, known as PFAS, from their tap water.

“A lot of us are one-income households and filtration systems can be expensive,” said Linnie Anderson, a longtime Collinsville resident and a cancer survivor, who also voiced concerns tied to health at the meeting held in the Gateway Convention Center.

Collinsville draws

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