Carollo Engineers partnered with the Water Research Foundation (WRF) on Project #5082.
Completion of the project was announced on August 6, 2024. Project #5082 is a study providing water utilities with practical, cost-effective strategies for evaluating and mitigating sources of PFAS contamination.
PFAS can enter the water supply through the use of everyday consumer products, industrial discharges, percolation of firefighting foams into groundwater and leachate from disposal sites.
The project, titled “Investigation of Alternative Management Strategies to Prevent PFAS from Entering Drinking Water Supplies and Wastewater” was led by Carollo in collaboration with numerous utilities, academic institutions and consultants.
The research employed a comprehensive system-level approach and meticulously addressed PFAS sources to wastewater, surface water and groundwater treated by utilities across the U.S. to gather essential information.
Key aspects of the study include:
- Surveys on utilities’ PFAS monitoring, tracking and mitigation practices.
- Sampling in the collection systems of multiple wastewater treatment plants to understand the relative importance of industrial and domestic sources.
- Sampling in multiple watersheds to understand the relative importance of direct sources and sources via wastewater treatment systems.
- Synthesizing this science into an actionable guidebook for utilities.
The study includes crucial insights for setting national policy priorities on PFAS. While addressing sources of PFAS before they enter our water systems is essential, the research highlights that everyday consumer product use is the dominant contributor of PFAS to water and wastewater systems on a total mass basis.
This pattern is said to hold true across three key areas:
- Groundwater: Leaky landfills are the most common source of PFAS contamination.
- Wastewater systems: The PFAS from domestic sources contribute more mass than industrial sources.
- Surface waters: Passing through wastewater systems is the predominant pathway for PFAS entering surface waters.
The published study can offer utilities a step-by-step guide for identifying PFAS sources, including recommendations for sampling and analysis to assess the severity and potential impact of PFAS contamination.
