Citizen Portal
Sign In

Prescott staff present PFAS treatment study scope; Airport Well 5 removed, EPA MCL cited

Prescott City Council Subcommittee on Water Issues · December 3, 2025

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The city updated the subcommittee on a consultant scope to study PFAS at the Airport Well Field, saying Airport Well 5 had the highest PFAS results and was taken offline. Staff described treatment options (granular activated carbon, ion exchange, Fluorosorb), a cost and timeline estimate for technical memos and a final road map, and noted ADEQ funding opportunities and pilot testing will be part of the work.

City staff presented an update on a PFAS treatment study and consultant scope that will guide decisions about treating or replacing wells at Prescott’s Airport Well Field.

Nathan Graham, water operations superintendent, reviewed earlier well testing and the city’s response to federal limits. "Airport Well 5 was found to have the highest level of contamination, and then we subsequently removed it from the water system," he said. Graham summarized the EPA’s 2023 regulation establishing a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOS/PFOA and related species of "4 parts per trillion." He said the city began monthly then quarterly testing and has been blending some wells to manage concentrations.

The consultant scope proposed for the Airport Well Field includes a hydrogeologic evaluation, particle‑tracking modeling to identify PFAS migration and likely source areas, and a cost/feasibility comparison of treatment versus drilling new wells. The scope also includes pilot testing, conceptual site layouts, consideration of treatment technology (granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and Fluorosorb), residuals management (disposal reactivation options), and workshops for staff and public presentations. Staff reported the first technical memo is expected about 20 weeks after notice to proceed, and a comprehensive PFAS "road map" report is expected around 48 weeks.

Graham said the city pursued a request for qualifications in 2024 and that ADEQ has identified Prescott as a potentially disadvantaged community that may qualify for state funding to expand the study scope. He estimated the scoping and study contract in the "couple $100,000 range" but said final contract negotiations are ongoing. Committee members emphasized pilot testing and waste‑residual disposal as key issues the consultant should analyze.