The WDNR has launched a statewide initiative to mitigate PFAS in our drinking water. What does this mean for your municipal wastewater treatment facility?
What are pfas?
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were first produced in the 1940’s. The unique properties of these chemicals made them ideal for use as active components in a variety of consumer products and industrial applications, including certain packing materials, cleaning agents, firefighting foams, and fuel-efficient cars. Initial concerns that PFAS exposure may cause serious health risks arose in the 1960’s, but it wasn’t until the 21st century that the chemicals were largely phased out of production.
The Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) associates human exposure to PFAS with high cholesterol, kidney cancer, low infant birth rates, and other reproductive and developmental issues, but the full range of adverse health effects caused by PFAS toxicity are still being investigated.
Lasting Impact on Drinking Water
Even though PFAS are no longer commonly used in production in the United States, PFAS contamination continues to impact our environment. PFAS are water soluble and do not readily break down, therefore relatively high levels of PFAS can still be found near facilities that previously manufactured, disposed, or used these chemicals.
PFAS are also found in municipal wastewater treatment facilities where they move through the treatment processes and contaminate the final sludge product. When contaminated biosolids are sold as fertilizer, runoff from these fields can further pollute our drinking water.
PFAS Guidelines in Wisconsin
As of 2019, the USEPA has established non-regulatory advisory limits for two widely-studied types of PFAS (PFOS and PFOA) of 70 ng/L (parts per trillion) in discharge drinking water. However, the state of Wisconsin has begun taking additional steps to protect drinking water, including:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has asked 125 municipal wastewater treatment facilities to participate in a voluntary PFAS treatment program, requesting the facilities to begin sampling for PFAS compounds in order to gain a better understanding of how and where they are contaminating our air, land, and water.
The WDNR has enlisted the help of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to develop administrative rules in order to establish groundwater quality standards for PFOA and PFOS. The rule-making process started with the DHS recommending a cumulative groundwater enforcement standard of 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS. The recommended standards will be enforceable once the rules are finalized.
What does this mean for my WWTF?
The state of Wisconsin has prioritized the development of surface water quality standards for PFAS and the WDNR has indicated that it plans to adopt the aforementioned DHS recommendation for a groundwater enforcement standard of 20 ng/L combined PFOA and PFOS.
The WDNR will work collaboratively with municipalities and industrial point sources to reduce and eliminate PFAS contamination, however, the processes for PFAS analysis and remediation can be complex and costly. Our team of water and wastewater experts will continue to provide updates as remediation guidelines become available. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns regarding PFAS regulations, please contact us today.
