June 2 (Reuters) - 3M Co has struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a host of U.S. cities and towns to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals," Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Shares of 3M were up about 9% in afternoon trade.

The news comes hours after chemical companies including Chemours Co, DuPont de Nemours Inc and Corteva Inc reached an agreement in principle for $1.19 billion to settle claims that they contaminated U.S. public water systems with the potentially harmful chemicals.

Last month, the Dutch government said it would hold 3M liable for polluting the Western Scheldt river with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - dubbed "forever chemicals" because they can last thousands of years in nature without degrading.

3M did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.

The U.S. industrial conglomerate in December set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS - used in everything from cell phones to semiconductors - amid increasing legal scrutiny on the substances that have been linked to cancers, heart problems and low birth weights.

Several chemical companies are facing thousands of lawsuits in the U.S. over their alleged role in polluting the environment with PFAS, which have in recent years been found in dangerous concentrations in drinking water, soils and foods. (Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)