Writing prompt Grade 7 Social Studies & Civics
Who Pays for PFAS Removal? An Argument Essay
A grade 7 argument prompt on how a fictional town should pay for PFAS treatment upgrades, using the real federal contaminant limit and deadline as evidence.
Objectives
- Students will write an argument essay that states a claim, addresses a counterclaim, and supports both with evidence.
- Students will use a real federal contaminant limit and compliance deadline to evaluate a funding tradeoff.
Vocabulary
- PFAS
- A large family of human-made chemicals used in things like nonstick pans, waterproof fabric, and firefighting foam. They are called forever chemicals because they take a very long time to break down.
Also: counterclaim, compliance deadline, exemption, rate increase
Teacher overview
PFAS, sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they break down so slowly in the environment, are now regulated in drinking water under a federal limit, and utilities across the country must install new treatment to meet it by a set deadline. This prompt asks students to take a position on a fictional town's funding decision: whether to raise water rates now to pay for PFAS treatment quickly, or to spread the cost over a longer timeline by applying for a proposed two-year exemption from the compliance deadline. The exemption would be available only to eligible systems that apply, it would not change the limit itself, and the proposal was not yet final as of September 2026.
Prompt
Background: PFAS chemicals now have a federal limit in drinking water. Two common types, PFOA and PFOS, each have a limit of 4.0 parts per trillion. A 2024 rule set that limit. Water systems must meet it by April 2029. In May 2026, the EPA proposed a change. Some water systems could apply for a two-year exemption, which would give them until April 2031. The exemption would not be automatic, and the limit itself would stay the same. The proposal was not yet final as of September 2026. Meeting the limit takes new treatment equipment, such as special filters. This equipment is expensive to build. It is also expensive to run. A utility can install the equipment sooner. That usually means raising rates on customers sooner. Or a utility can wait closer to the deadline. That spreads the same cost over more years. But waiting also leaves the contaminant in the water supply longer.
Writing task: The fictional town of Alder Springs has PFAS levels above the federal limit. The town must decide how to pay for the treatment upgrade its water system needs. Write an argument essay. State a clear claim: should Alder Springs raise water rates now to fund the upgrade quickly, or wait and spread the cost by applying for the proposed exemption to 2031? Assume Alder Springs would be eligible to apply if the proposal becomes final. Address at least one counterclaim a resident might raise. Support your position with evidence from the background material above.
Planning Organizer
| Category | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Claim (should Alder Springs act now or wait?) | |
| Reason 1 + evidence from background material | |
| Reason 2 + evidence from background material | |
| Who pays, who benefits under your plan | |
| Counterclaim a resident might raise | |
| Your rebuttal to the counterclaim | |
| Concluding statement |
From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.
Exemplar & Rubric
Exemplar response:
Alder Springs should raise water rates now and begin PFAS treatment upgrades immediately, because delaying action leaves a known health risk in the water supply longer than necessary. The federal government has set a clear limit, 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and the fact that regulators finalized this limit at all shows that levels above it are considered a real health concern. Waiting and applying for the proposed exemption to 2031 might spread the cost of treatment over more years, but it would also mean Alder Springs residents keep drinking water above the federal limit for years longer than they would under an immediate upgrade.
Some residents will argue that raising rates now costs too much too fast, especially for households on fixed incomes who cannot easily absorb a sudden increase in their monthly bill. This is a fair concern, and Alder Springs' town council should not dismiss it. A reasonable middle path addresses this directly: the town could phase in the rate increase over two or three years rather than all at once, so the treatment plant construction still begins immediately while individual households adjust more gradually. This way, the town does not have to choose between protecting public health quickly and protecting household budgets; it can do both, although the change will take time and will still cost money.
Alder Springs should move forward with PFAS treatment now, funded by a phased rate increase. The proposed exemption to 2031, if adopted and granted, would give the town flexibility in how it manages the cost, but flexibility in cost is not the same as an excuse to wait on a known contaminant. Acting sooner protects residents' health sooner, and a phased approach shows the town can manage the cost responsibly at the same time.
Rubric:
| Criterion | Emerging | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claim | No clear position stated | States a position but it shifts or is vague | States one clear, consistent position | States a clear position and previews the essay's reasoning |
| Evidence & reasoning | No evidence from background material | Restates one fact without explaining its relevance | Uses at least one specific figure and explains how it supports the claim | Uses two or more specific figures and explains how each supports the claim |
| Counterclaim | No counterclaim addressed | Mentions an opposing view without a rebuttal | States a counterclaim and offers a rebuttal | States a counterclaim, rebuts it specifically, and ties the rebuttal back to the claim |
| Organization & conventions | Ideas are disconnected; frequent errors interfere with meaning | Some organization; errors are noticeable but do not block meaning | Clear paragraph structure; few errors | Clear, purposeful structure with a strong concluding statement; virtually error-free |
Differentiation
Support (below grade level)
Provide sentence starters for each Planning Organizer row ("Alder Springs should act now/wait because the background material says ___.") and allow the counterclaim and rebuttal to be combined into a single simpler sentence.
Extension (above grade level)
Ask students to describe, reasoning from the background material provided rather than outside sources, what a "phased rate increase" might look like in practice, and to add a second counterclaim addressing a different concern, such as whether a delay is fair to residents currently drinking water above the federal limit.
ELL supports
Pre-teach "PFAS," "counterclaim," "compliance deadline," and "exemption" with visuals (a filter diagram showing contaminants being removed from water, and a calendar marking the April 2029 deadline and the proposed April 2031 exemption date). Allow the Planning Organizer to be completed with phrases rather than full sentences before drafting begins.