Updates on Salisbury private wells sampling for PFAS
Resources for our community
This page is updated regularly. Last update: January 20, 2026
For over 100 years, Perdue has been more than just a business in this community — we’ve been neighbors. Part of being a good neighbor means ensuring the safety and well-being of the communities where we live and work.
Recently, groundwater tests at our Perdue AgriBusiness facility located at 6906 Zion Church Road, Salisbury, Maryland have revealed elevated levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). To further investigate this issue and better understand the situation, the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) has requested that we test properties within a prescribed radius of this facility.
As a company committed to protecting this region, and in cooperation with both MDE and the Wicomico County Department of Health (WCDH), Perdue AgriBusiness is working with PFAS experts at Langan Engineering and Environmental Services to conduct this testing and treat any instances of PFAS at properties within the designated testing area.
Langan also led a comprehensive investigation into the source of the PFAS. As of November 2025, that investigation has identified the facility’s previous firefighting system as the only site-related source of PFAS. A new, non-PFAS fire suppression system has been installed and is now operational at the facility.
Experts have completed well water testing and treatment systems have been installed at nearly all impacted properties in the designated testing zone. Perdue AgriBbusiness also completed upgrades at the Zion Church Road site to remove potential PFAS sources by treating wastewater and upgrading the facility’s fire suppression system.
We are committed to protecting the community in Salisbury. Throughout this process, we will maintain transparent and timely communication, including through this webpage.
Progress update & timeline
This is the current status of our well water testing and mitigation efforts in the MDE-designated zone around our facility in Salisbury, Maryland.
- The source of the PFAS in the groundwater has been identified. Langan led a comprehensive investigation into the source of the PFAS. Their investigation to-date has identified discharges of the facility’s previous firefighting system as the only site-related source of the PFAS in the site’s groundwater.
- Residential testing is complete. Well water testing is complete for 100% of properties within the MDE-designated testing area that have requested tests. Through this effort and in collaboration with local residents, Perdue has performed private well testing for 679 properties.
- Treatment systems have been installed at nearly every impacted home. Free Point-of-entry treatment (POET) systems that reduce PFAS levels below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for drinking water have been installed at 91% of impacted properties — and at 100% of the homes that requested a system. We continue to reach out to property owners who have not yet requested installation.
- Comprehensive site upgrades: Throughout this process, we have followed MDE’s direction and prioritized identifying and mitigating any PFAS detected within private drinking wells in the designated area around our facility. As we complete testing and POET installations, we have also updated our facility to treat wastewater and remove the identified PFAS source at the Zion Church Road site. This includes:
- Installation of PFAS treatment system: a state-of-the-art, Comprehensive Outflow PFAS Treatment System is now operational at the facility. Test results show that this system has reduced regulated PFAS concentrations in treated wastewater to trace levels. While there are currently no EPA standards for PFAS levels in wastewater, this new system achieves Perdue’s objective of substantially reducing PFAS levels at the Zion Church Road facility to benefit the community.
- Non-PFAS fire suppression system: while the exact source of PFAS has not been confirmed, the ongoing investigation by Langan suggests that past discharges of the facility’s previous fire suppression system – which used Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), a substance containtaining PFAS – was a likely contributing factor. A new non-PFAS fire suppression system is now fully operational at the facility.
- MDE approved the PFAS Investigation Plan. Perdue continues to collaborate closely with MDE on a comprehensive sampling and investigative effort throughout the Zion Church Road facility. While the source has not been confirmed, the ongoing investigation by Langan points to areas of interest at the site based on current test results and groundwater movement at the facility. In June 2025, MDE approved the work plan submitted by experts from Langan. The plan sets out a comprehensive process designed to identify and understand the presence of any PFAS at the site. This investigative process is iterative, and each step is informed by a growing, comprehensive set of data that supports the goal of identifying and treating any instances of PFAS and informing future guidelines and procedures at the facility. Read the full work plan here.
Our comprehensive work plans
Every month experts from Langan Engineering and Environmental Services prepare progress reports on our behalf that are submitted to the Maryland Department of Environment for review and approval. These reports include details about testing, monitoring and ongoing efforts to identify and eliminate the source of the PFAS. We've made the reports available for download below.
- November 28, 2025 progress report.
- October 27, 2025 progress report.
- September 26, 2025 progress report.
- August 29, 2025 progress report.
- June 30, 2025 progress report.
- May 30, 2025 progress report.
- April 30, 2025 progress report.
- March 31, 2025 progress report.
- February 28, 2025 progress report.
- January 31, 2025 progress report.
- December 31, 2024 progress report.
- Novermber 27, 2024 progress report.
Well-testing area
Perdue AgriBusiness is working with experts from Langan Engineering and Environmental Services (Langan) to test the private well water of properties within the official testing zone. This includes the initial approximate half-mile radius recommended and established by the Maryland Department of Environment and the expanded area to the west of the Zion Church Road facility. In total, the testing area encompasses 920 homes.
Early testing revealed elevated levels of certain PFAS which led Perdue AgriBusiness, in conjunction with the MDE, to expand the initial testing zone to the west of the Zion Church Road facility. Notification letters were sent to homeowners within the expanded testing zone on November 5, 2024.
The yellow outline represents the original testing area, the orange outline identifies the expanded testing location around the Perdue AgriBusiness facility.
Testing results & next steps
Test results will determine the presence and levels of six PFAS compounds that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in public drinking water.
Because PFAS are commonly occurring chemicals, the tests check for instances where the presence of chemicals exceeds the levels that the EPA has established for public drinking water. There are three potential outcomes for the test results. Below, we’ve indicated what each outcome means and your next steps.
- No PFAS Detected: If your property’s groundwater does not show elevated levels of PFAS, no further actions are planned at this time.
- PFAS Detected: If your property’s groundwater shows that PFAS are present, but levels do not exceed the EPA’s standards for public drinking water, follow-up sampling is recommended and will be conducted by Langan. Langan will contact you in the coming weeks to inquire about, and arrange for, follow-up sampling.
- Elevated PFAS Levels Detected: If your property’s groundwater does show elevated levels of PFAS that exceed the EPA’s standards for public drinking water, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) recommends that homeowners install treatment devices on any outlets from which they will be drinking water. Perdue AgriBusiness is offering to install treatment systems to treat the drinking water supply for PFAS, where appropriate, at no cost to property owners or occupants. Perdue AgriBusiness will contact you with additional details regarding potential treatment options, including a point-of-entry treatment system.
PFAS Water Sampling, Testing and Treatment Process Explained HERE
Frequently asked questions
We understand you may have questions about this effort. We are committed to maintaining transparent and timely communication with our neighbors through this process. Below is a list of frequently asked questions. For additional information, please contact Perdue AgriBusiness.
As part of this effort, we are testing the private well water of properties within the radius recommended by and established in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Environment. This includes properties within the original radius as well as additional properties to the west of the Zion Church Road facility. Please refer to the map above to view the official testing area.
Some of the early test results detected elevated levels of certain PFAS and led to our decision, together with the MDE, to expand the radius to the west of the Zion Church Road facility. Perdue AgriBusiness will continue to follow MDE’s guidance around well water sampling and testing.
Independent PFAS consultants from Langan are actively reviewing and evaluating preliminary results with MDE as they become available.
Please use this link to complete the online questionnaire. Our experts from Langan Engineering and Environmental Services (Langan) will contact you to select a convenient time and date to collect a sample.
Langan is working to collect samples as quickly and effectively as possible. Every property within the prescribed radius that completes the questionnaire and consents to testing will be contacted to schedule well water sampling.
Perdue AgriBusiness is currently testing the private well water of properties within the official radius jointly established by the MDE and Perdue AgriBusiness. These tests are designed to determine if PFAS exist in the area groundwater, and if so, the nature and extent of such chemicals.
Test results will be mailed to property owners within one to three weeks of the samples being collected.
Perdue AgriBusiness is installing treatment systems to treat the drinking water supply for PFAS, where appropriate, at no cost to property owners or occupants. Langan will contact property owners with additional details regarding the installation of a point-of-entry treatment system.
Perdue AgriBusiness is providing free bottled water to properties within the testing area throughout this process. To request bottled water, please call 866-866-3703.
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The term encompasses thousands of man-made substances that have been in widespread use for decades and can be found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. They have also been found in water, air, fish, and soil at many locations throughout the country.
In November 2025, firefighting foam (AFFF) used in the previous fire suppression system was identified as the only site-related source of PFAS to-date. This system has been replaced with a new, non-PFAS alternative. AFFF is widely used across many industries and was not subject to PFAS-related testing or regulations at the time it was accidentally discharged prior to 2020.
Information about the effects of PFAS, including potential health risks, is available from the Maryland Department of the Environment.
A Point-of-Entry Treatment (POET) system filters your home’s water at the point it enters the building. It is designed to remove PFAS from all water used in your home, including drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Perdue AgriBusiness is working with Langan Engineering to install and maintain POET systems.
Yes. If your home is within the designated testing area, you can still request well water testing or a POET system. Please contact us through the form on this webpage or call the water sampling helpline.
Contact
We are committed to protecting the communities in Maryland. Throughout this process, we will maintain transparent and timely communication, including through this webpage. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Water Sampling
For questions about water sampling or the questionnaire you received, please call 866-866-3703
PFAS Impact
For questions about PFAS, please contact The Maryland Department of Health, 410-537-3000