PFAS levels in these cities’ potable water systems were well above EPA’s Health Advisory Limit of 70 ppt.

During pilot testing, the team demonstrated that both ion exchange resins (IX-R) and granular activated carbon (GAC) were both capable of treating PFOS/PFOA to no detect concentrations, but IXR was more efficient IXR systems also require fewer treatment vessels, reducing overall system footprint and capital costs. For these reasons, Ion Exchange was chosen as the preferred treatment system for this project.

AECOM’s design collects raw water from groundwater wells and conveys it to central treatment plants. PFAS removal is accomplished by passing the water through pairs of very large lead-lag IXR vessels. System flow capacity is 1,700 GPM per vessel, with all four systems online, the capacity is up to 6,000 GPM.