Persistent PFAS impacting municipal treatment systems
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present one of the most complex and persistent challenges in water management today. These synthetic chemicals are widely used in industrial and commercial products and are highly resistant to breakdown. As regulatory scrutiny increases, public agencies are under growing pressure to identify effective, reliable, and scalable ways to reduce PFAS releases to the environment.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants (publicly owned treatment works, or POTWs) play a critical role in managing wastewater from residential and commercial sources. However, PFAS entering these systems from diverse sources often pass through untreated, remaining in liquid effluent, biosolids, or air emissions. Since existing PFAS treatment options are still emerging technologies and have been mostly tested at defense sites or drinking water settings, this creates a significant challenge for environmental regulators seeking to understand how PFAS behave within existing POTWs and what interventions could meaningfully reduce their presence.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) needed actionable, real-world data to inform future decisions. To that end, the agency aimed to evaluate multiple pilot-scale emerging PFAS reduction and destruction technologies at different POTWs. The work needed to be completed within a compressed timeframe, across multiple sites, and in a way that would generate credible performance data to support long‑term policy and investment decisions.
A coordinated, multi‑technology pilots under real‑world conditions
MassDEP selected AECOM to deliver a first‑of‑its‑kind pilot program focused on testing 11 PFAS treatment technologies at POTWs across Massachusetts. Our team designed and executed a coordinated program in partnership with CDM Smith.
The approach was intentionally comprehensive and comparative. Rather than evaluating a single solution, the program examined a range of complementary technologies spanning PFAS separation and destruction. These pilots were implemented across both liquid and solid process streams, reflecting the multiple potential pathways through which PFAS move in wastewater treatment systems.
Our teams led the planning, deployment, and execution of the pilots, ensuring consistency in performance evaluation while adapting to the operational realities of different facilities. The focus was on generating high‑quality, data‑driven insights under real‑world conditions, enabling MassDEP to directly compare technology performance, operational feasibility, and applicability across diverse waste streams.
Managing complexity across sites, technologies, and PFAS behavior
Several factors made the program notably complex. First, PFAS represents a large and diverse class of compounds, each behaving differently within treatment processes. Understanding not just removal efficiency but also the fate and transformation of PFAS across system inputs and outputs required a rigorous scientific evaluation approach.
Second, the multi‑site, multi‑technology structure significantly increased coordination demands. Conducting seven pilot tests and a full-scale incinerator evaluation across different municipalities within a compressed timeframe required rapid deployment, close collaboration with facility operators and technology vendors, and careful management of logistics and data consistency.
Third, no precedent, at this scale and scope, exists for evaluating PFAS treatment technologies at within operating municipal wastewater systems. By testing multiple technologies simultaneously in real‑world conditions, the program moved beyond theoretical performance claims to generate practical evidence that reflects how these solutions would potentially perform when integrated into existing infrastructure.
Building evidence to support future PFAS decisions
The pilot program is generating critical performance data that improves understanding of how PFAS behave within municipal wastewater treatment systems.The results are expected to inform future decision‑making for utilities in Massachusetts and beyond that are seeking practical approaches to managing PFAS. The program also supports a more evidence‑based pathway toward long‑term treatment solutions, reducing uncertainty for regulators and utilities facing increasing regulatory and public scrutiny.
More broadly, the work helps advance strategies to protect water resources and improve environmental and public health outcomes by addressing PFAS at a critical point in the wastewater cycle.
Creating lasting value as PFAS regulation and expectations evolve
PFAS contamination is widely recognized as a long‑term environmental challenge rather than a short‑term compliance issue. Municipal wastewater systems will continue to receive PFAS from domestic and commercial sources, even as regulations evolve.
This project builds a robust evidence base on the performance and feasibility of emerging PFAS treatment and destruction technologies. The ongoing pilot program will further contribute to knowledge and insights that will help guide future infrastructure investments, technology selection, and policy development, supporting more resilient and informed responses to PFAS challenges over time.