Black & Veatch Selected by American Water Works Association to Develop Guidance for “Forever Chemicals” Pilot Testing

New guidance will build industry consensus and ultimately accelerate PFAS treatment projects for communities nationwide.

Black & Veatch has been selected by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) to develop nationwide guidance for pilot testing treatment for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.”

The resulting PFAS Piloting Guidance document will bring together minimum requirements and provide best practices for water utilities, regulators and engineers to build common understanding within the drinking water community and ultimately accelerate PFAS treatment projects for water systems and their communities nationwide.

In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six forever chemicals. On a state level, many states have not developed formal regulatory requirements for validating and approving PFAS projects, and those that have default to intensive piloting requirements, unnecessarily delaying project timelines. The national PFAS Piloting Guidance Manual, developed by Black & Veatch, is intended to support utilities, regulators and engineers in building common understanding within the drinking water community and ultimately accelerate PFAS treatment projects for water systems and their communities nationwide.

This project is critically important to equip our industry with the information they need to make informed decisions about PFAS treatment projects in a timely manner. PFAS treatment projects are of paramount importance to protecting the health and safety of communities, and with tight timelines, water utilities can’t afford unnecessary delays in the process.

Amanda Canida, senior water process engineer and lead on the project for Black & Veatch

Drinking water utilities must comply with the U.S. EPA’s drinking water standard for PFAS by April 26, 2029. Design, bidding and construction timelines for PFAS treatment projects frequently require in-excess of three years, leaving utilities a short window to implement a solution. By creating an industry consensus, the PFAS Piloting Guidance Manual will match piloting requirements to the complexity and novelty of proposed treatment, expediting the process for established treatment technologies and ultimately assisting utilities in meeting EPA’s PFAS compliance deadlines.

“In collaboration with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), we will be analysing existing state permitting requirements and creating a path forward to nationwide guidance,” said Adam Feffer, senior water process engineer and PFAS practice lead, Black & Veatch. “The resulting manual will incorporate other stakeholder inputs and ultimately help expedite the implementation of effective PFAS treatment solutions in a safe and efficient way.”

The project will incorporate feedback from primary agencies and the EPA. The final guidance document will be available in early 2025.

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Black & Veatch worked with the AWWA in 2021 to Determine Cost of Pending PFAS Regulations on More Than 140,000 U.S. Drinking Water Systems. Learn more here.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, it has helped its clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of the most important infrastructure assets. Follow on www.bv.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.