GAC filtration project purifies water, removes PFAS chemicals

Challenge

A water utility discovered its water source had a higher-than-recommended amount of man-made chemicals known as Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFAS). These contaminants are currently unregulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, but are likely to be regulated in the future. For consumer safety, the utility shut off their water treatment plant until mitigation could be implemented and instead purchased water from a nearby municipality at significant cost.

Solution

The utility chose a design-build approach for this project. They chose to move forward with adding granular activated carbon pressure filtration into their treatment process. Bartlett & West designed the new treatment facilities, including buffer tanks, feed pumps, piping and valve, chlorine feed system modifications and an oversized chlorine contact pipe after the GAC filters. The new building to house the GAC filter equipment had a limited footprint due to tight site constraints. Through a design-build approach with Garney Construction, Bartlett & West ensured the building met codes with appropriate space allocation for necessary equipment. The aesthetics of the new building will also match the historic character of surrounding buildings.

Value

The utility will save money by operating independently as opposed to purchasing water from a third party, and water consumers will enjoy a purer source of water.