Water Works says current treatment removes PFAS at main plant; groundwater plant faces costly upgrades

Utility water-quality staff told the council committee that recent federal PFAS rules will require monitoring and, if detected, treatment changes by 2029; Water Works said its main surface-water plant already uses granular activated carbon (GAC), which is effective against PFAS, but the groundwater plant will likely need a new treatment approach.

“...the nickname for them is the forever chemicals,” said Jeff Swertfeger, Water Quality and Treatment Superintendent, describing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly called PFAS. Swertfeger said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized drinking-water regulations in April 2024 that cover multiple PFAS compounds and that systems must implement treatment solutions by 2029 if monitoring shows compounds above the regulatory limits.

Swertfeger said Water Works has been monitoring for PFAS for roughly two decades and that the Richard Miller surface-water plant — which supplies about 90% of the city’s water — uses GAC treatment, “which is the best available technology to get rid of these PFAS compounds.” Finished water at that plant shows effective removal, he said.

However, the utility reported low levels of PFAS in groundwater serving the Bolton groundwater plant and said retrofitting that plant with GAC or similar treatment could cost on the order of $100,000,000. The utility said it has received some Ohio EPA grants to study options and is evaluating both treatment and operational approaches such as altered well usage to reduce costs.

Ending: Council members asked technical questions about historical declines in PFAS loads and whether artificial turf or recreational surfaces could pose PFAS risks; Water Works responded that the city’s intake location makes direct leaching to the drinking supply unlikely but said it would continue technical study and grant applications to meet the 2029 compliance timeline.