What You Should Know about PFAS in Wastewater
Our Efforts
Our Environmental Services team is continuing to work on our PFAS evaluation plan, which has been approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. This work includes identifying and monitoring potential PFAS sources coming into our Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF). A PFAS pollutant reduction plan is similar to the mercury minimization plan that has been successful over time and has been part of our WRRF program for more than 20 years. We’re committed to pollution reduction and we’re working with confirmed sources to reduce this pollutant in our environment. Our potential and identified sources are collaborative and cooperative.
These sources impact the WRRF’s treated discharge water to the Grand River – not drinking water. Wastewater sampling at the WRRF is taking place on a monthly basis, and we’re working with identified sources to continue monitoring for PFAS. As with all sewage and pollutant discharges, including domestic use, we continue to reduce and eliminate wastewater as a source of harm to the environment. We continue to work collaboratively with our sewer users, regulating bodies, national membership associations, universities, research foundations and other partners to work on long-term cost-effective treatment solutions.
The work to reduce PFAS pollutants is expected to take many years, and fully understanding the pervasiveness of PFAS compounds in the environment is still being studied. PFAS is a long-term environmental cleanup, and we’re confident that knowledge, technology and treatment options will continue to improve and be successful. The WRRF’s industrial pretreatment program continues to be a state leader in PFAS evaluation.
Resources
Check out a PFAS destruction technology we’re working to help bring to a bigger scale: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2018/diamond-technology-cleans-up-pfas-contaminated-wastewater/.
For information on the high-quality and safe drinking water provided by our Water System, visit https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Departments/Water-System.