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Staff member summarizes PFAS risks, testing and treatment options for local water and wastewater systems
Summary
At a Vernonia work session, a staff member summarized EPA guidance on PFAS, warned of testing complexity and disposal challenges, and said affordable treatment options such as activated charcoal may suit the town’s small systems. The EPA’s wastewater guidance is expected in December 2024, staff said.
A staff member summarized federal guidance and practical options for the town to address PFAS contaminants in drinking water and wastewater systems.
The staff member said the EPA “put those guidelines out April of this year” for drinking water and that wastewater guidance was expected by the end of the year. They warned the public and staff that testing for PFAS is technically demanding and that sample contamination is easy: “the testing is, like, stainless steel silicone or HDPE vessels, 100% cotton clothes because even our mixed poly … can contaminate the sample,” the staff member said.
The presenter described treatment choices for small systems and disposal challenges. Activated charcoal and resin media were discussed as capture methods; charcoal can be thermally regenerated while resin media requires disposal when exhausted. The speaker summarized the tradeoffs: charcoal is relatively inexpensive and can be reused after a flash thermal treatment, while resins create a concentrated waste stream that requires careful handling and disposal. “Probably, you’re looking at incineration,” the staff member said, describing how contaminated media may ultimately be destroyed.
Staff noted broader concerns about disposal pathways the EPA has discussed, including underground containment of PFAS‑laden fluids, and questioned whether that approach is advisable. The presenter said state clean-water funds may support design and planning (loans for capital improvements) if testing identifies industrial sources: “they will pay you can do a loan for the design and planning for the capital improvement,” the speaker explained.
The meeting closed this item with staff committing to circulate the presenter’s slide deck and to forward testing and regulatory details to councilors for consideration in future planning and budgets.
