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Durham plans PFAS removal at Brown Water Plant; staff seeks HDR amendment for design oversight
Summary
Water Management staff recommended a progressive design-build approach using powdered activated carbon to meet EPA PFAS rules; staff seeks an amendment to HDR Engineering's contract for owner-advisor services while the EPA extends compliance deadlines.
Laurie Montgomery, senior engineering manager for the Durham Department of Water Management, told council members the city has completed a study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in source waters and identified powdered activated carbon (PAC) as the preferred treatment approach at the Brown Water Treatment Plant.
"Because our PFAS concentrations are relatively low, PAC is sort of one of the first line of defense technologies that we can use," Montgomery said during the council meeting. She said draft reports from HDR Engineering are being finalized and that HDR's contract amendment is intended to provide owner-advisor services through design and construction under a progressive design-build delivery method.
Montgomery also said the EPA has announced an extension of the compliance deadline (it had previously been April 2029), delaying some compliance elements and giving municipalities additional time to design and install treatment. "That delay gives us a little bit more time, but to get our systems built," she said. Montgomery said Durham is targeting compliance well ahead of the regulatory timeline and plans a public outreach session July 15 to explain the work to residents.
Why it matters: The city's existing treatment processes do not reliably remove PFAS at the levels regulated by the EPA. Staff said PAC will meet the current rule in a cost-effective way and allow time to monitor evolving destruction technologies.
Next steps: The agenda lists an amendment to HDR's consulting contract to provide owner-advisor services to proceed to the next phase. The contract amendment was on the agenda (item 34) for council consideration; staff described the technical rationale and requested authority to proceed with design and construction planning.
