The Water Utility of the City of Madison has selected AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm, to provide engineering design for the state’s first municipal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment facility.
In this role, AECOM will deliver engineering design for the installation of PFAS treatment systems and upgrade well equipment and building architecture. The final design, which upon completion will become Wisconsin’s first municipal PFAS treatment facility, will be tailored to meet rigorous Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Wisconsin Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funding requirements.
“In the last two years, we’ve worked with more than a dozen Wisconsin clients to monitor and treat this ‘forever chemical’ at sites across the state,” said Travis Boone, chief executive of AECOM’s U.S. West region. “As we continue to deliver Sustainable Legacies in partnership with our clients, we’re proud to apply our regional experience and industry-leading PFAS technical services to support this first-of-its-kind project — one that will help Madison leverage the latest federal and state funds to continue to provide safe, high-quality drinking water to its residents.”
The treatment system will return a municipal well to service, employing granular activated carbon filtration technology to remove PFAS that were first detected in 2017.
To restore operation and introduce treatment technologies, AECOM will deliver bench scale testing for PFAS removal using Rapid Small-Scale Column Testing (RSSCT) and design for renovation of well facilities to incorporate PFAS treatment and upgrade controls, structural elements, HVAC systems, and electrical components. In addition, the project will incorporate community and stakeholder engagement as a critical part of the design process.
