Practical O&M Considerations For PFAS Treatment

PFAS treatment doesn’t end at installation. In this session, Andrew Strassner, President of Sentinel Water Solutions, walks through the practical operations and maintenance realities utilities face as they prepare for the EPA’s 4 ppt MCL. He compares granular activated carbon and ion exchange, covering empty bed contact time, hydraulic loading rates, backwash and rinse requirements, and the channeling risk when wells run below their permitted rate. Andrew also shares cost-saving strategies, including how adding a third vessel in series can cut media use by more than 60%, why desktop models often underestimate changeout frequency by about 40%, and how custom GAC reactivation, now available for sites as small as 40 gpm, can lower O&M costs by 30–50%.

Sentinel Water Solutions provides turnkey PFAS treatment for drinking water, including pilot testing, rental and purchase systems, vessel swaps, and reactivation, helping utilities reach compliance quickly and cost-effectively.