How Utilities, Engineers, And Manufacturers Can Overcome Mounting PFAS Compliance Workloads

Recent federal PFAS regulations will overwhelm consulting engineers, water and wastewater utilities, and equipment manufacturers as thousands of utilities work to comply. Generative design can enable these parties to meet the workload demand and deadlines.

After years of anticipation, the EPA announced its final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in April 2024 for six Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Drinking water providers now have until 2029 to implement treatment solutions that reduce concentrations of these six PFAS below four parts per trillion and a hazard index of one.

Shortly following the NPDWR rule on PFAS, the EPA designated1 perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), more commonly known as Superfund. This designation obligates discharging entities like wastewater treatment plants to immediately report discharges of one or more pounds of PFOA and PFOS within a 24-hour period and to pay for or conduct investigations and cleanup. While water and wastewater utilities did
not create PFAS contamination, they are being tasked with remediating it.