Expanding the Network: Considering More than just PFOA and PFOS & Adding Treatment to Existing Water Districts

Grieco, Scott A.

Expanding the Network: Considering More than just PFOA and PFOS & Adding Treatment to Existing Water Districts

Tuesday, August 14, 2018: 9:55 a.m.

Scott A. Grieco, Ph.D., PE , Jacobs Engineering, Syracuse, NY

Bill H. DiGuiseppi, PG , Jacobs Engineering, Denver, CO

Although a concern for over a decade, the EPA’s incorporation of per and poly-fluorinated alkyl
substances (PFAS) into Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3 (UCMR3) and lowering of the Lifetime Health Advisory (LHA) values in 2016 have increased the focus on treating PFAS-impacted ground water. Moreover, some states are developing screening values or promulgated drinking water values that are lower or more inclusive than the EPA LFH for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Lastly, the recent press release in March by the EPA stating that LHA values are expected to be developed for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy)propanoate (GenX) this year demonstrates the evolving regulatory landscape of PFAS.

Currently, activated carbon adsorption is the primary technology being used for PFOA and PFOS
removal in Point of Entry Treatment (POET), municipal water supply, and groundwater pump-and-treat systems. This presentation will provide recent pilot and full-scale operating data from several ground water sources showing the system performance with respect to the wider PFAS concerns. This presentation will also discuss recent advances of emerging (anion exchange resin) and developing water treatment technologies (advanced adsorbents, reduction, and oxidation) that show promise as the need for wider PFAS treatment capabilities become reality.

Lastly, regardless of the technology selected, incorporating a new technology into an existing public
water supply requires both technical and logistical concerns. These will be discussed in case study form based on a recent ground water well system upgraded for PFAS treatment. Aspects include:
• Technology incorporation: hydraulics and space constraints
• Incorporating treatment with disinfection requirements
• Developing and communicating a plan for flushing the existing system for existing users
• Training for operators not familiar with advanced water treatment equipment.

Scott A. Grieco, Ph.D., PE, Jacobs Engineering, Syracuse, NY

Scott Grieco is a principal engineer for Jacobs with 25 years of experience in the areas of process engineering, wastewater management, industrial water treatment, treatability testing, and hazardous waste site investigations and remedial design. Scott is the North American lead for Jacob’s Emerging Contaminants Community of Practice and supports water treatment technology testing, engineering design and operations for PFAS impacted drinking water, wastewater and landfill leachate streams. Scott has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from State University of New York at Buffalo, a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in Bioprocess Engineering from State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry.

Bill H. DiGuiseppi, PG, Jacobs Engineering, Denver, CO