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City staff recommend $10M PFAS treatment system for Riverview landfill; bids to be developed
Summary
City staff and consultants presented options to treat landfill leachate and RNG condensate for PFAS and other contaminants, recommending a granulated activated carbon + ion-exchange system estimated at $10–12 million and asking council to authorize bid documents.
City staff and consultants told the council that the landfill must begin treating leachate and condensate for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other contaminants, and recommended moving forward with bid documents for a granulated activated carbon system followed by ion-exchange and filtration.
The presentation, led by Jeff (city staff) and Jennifer Blair of Tetra Tech, laid out why staff moved away from a larger reverse-osmosis (RO) design — which earlier estimates pushed toward roughly $20 million — and recommended a system Tetra Tech estimates will cost between $10 million and $12 million, including a new building and an equalization tank. Jennifer Blair said the proposed system “will also remove the short chain PFAS, and extend the life of the carbon as well.”
The consultants said the design would collect leachate and condensate from three sources and treat the combined flow. Staff noted bench and pilot testing indicate the proposed media train (GAC → ion exchange → filtration) removes the landfill’s PFAS and other regulated constituents, while lowering near-term capital cost and procurement risk compared with the previously studied RO approach. City staff said installing a treatment plant would eliminate the ongoing pump-and-haul operating costs the landfill now incurs; staff estimated pump-and-haul runs about $600,000–$750,000 in a typical year.
Council members and staff discussed schedule and risk. Staff said the state authority will require PFAS controls in the landfill’s permitted discharge by May 2026. Officials also noted the landfill’s leachate volume is weather-dependent: “When it rains the landfill, it takes us 2 to 3 days to recover,” a staff member said, underscoring why an equalization tank is included to reduce reliance on pump-and-haul during maintenance or high-flow events.
No formal council vote was taken; staff requested authorization to develop bid documents and said bids would be returned to council for review and award at a future meeting. Staff also said they will continue outreach to state and federal funding contacts but cautioned that federal appropriations often carry additional procurement and local-content requirements.
If council approves moving forward with bid documents, staff said procurement and equipment lead times mean action is needed soon to meet the anticipated compliance timeline and to avoid prolonged pump-and-haul costs.
The council asked for the consultants’ slides and supporting data; staff said those materials will be distributed to councilmembers.
The presentation ended with staff reporting the gas-collection/expansion drilling on-site is complete and construction work to connect the system will continue.
