Blades, Del., provides drinking water to more than 1,300 residential and business locations throughout the community. After establishing a central water supply in 1981, the town had a safe and clean drinking water supply for almost 36 years. However, that changed on February 8, 2018, when per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically PFOA and PFOS, were detected in three public wells, impacting more than 1,250 residents and businesses.
When all three wells contained PFAS exceeding the EPA’s Health Advisory Limit of 70 ppt, the town of Blades jumped into action, issuing a “Do Not Drink” notice to citizens and looking into treatment options.
Just weeks after discovering the contamination, the city ordered a new Model-10 vessel and FILTRASORB granular activated carbon (GAC). Calgon Carbon worked overtime to get the vessel and GAC prepared for shipping and installation, and within one day, the order was on its way to Blades. The system was installed 24 hours later, and finally, after connecting and testing the system, it was online and operational within a week.
Initially, the system reduced the concentration of PFAS flowing through public pipes to 3.4 ppt (well under the EPA’s Health Advisory Limit), and a follow-up screening did not detect any contamination. WW
Calgon Carbon deploys cutting-edge purification systems for drinking water, wastewater, odor control, pollution abatement, and a variety of manufacturing processes. Learn more at www.calgoncarbon.com.
