Are We Setting Ourselves Up For Failure With PFAS?

The unique properties that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) offer the modern world are the same properties that make them damaging to both humans and the environment. Multiple federal regulations come into effect in the next few years, which means the race is on for utilities (water, wastewater, and solid waste) to find and install technologies that can remove PFAS from drinking water, wastewater, and leachate. At the same time, concerns about the costs of removing and disposing of PFAS continue to grow.

With the implementation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) PFAS rules looming, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund) PFAS rules, there are unknowns and liabilities that many water utilities have not fully explored or do not (and cannot) yet fully understand. Even less well understood are the overall costs of implementing and running PFAS removal technologies.

Before rushing a decision, utilities need to revisit mistakes of the past and ask tough questions about what it truly means to treat and remove these dangerous chemicals.