The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 outlines federal priorities for conserving and developing U.S. water resources and infrastructure. One growing priority is ensuring that water treatment systems can remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals,” from public drinking water.
“PFAS are synthetic chemicals that can persist in water and accumulate over time, which can be harmful to humans when ingested in large amounts,” says Pingbo Tang, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “The Environmental Protection Agency is regulating water treatment nationwide to ensure that water utilities achieve a certain level of PFAS compliance to protect the health of the community.”
Designing systems to remove PFAS from drinking water is a complex engineering challenge because conventional treatment is often ineffective, and regulations are tightening. Engineers typically adapt established technologies—such as granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and membranes—but must re‑optimize them for PFAS behavior and new regulatory limits, often based on site‑specific pilot testing and evolving design guidance.
To address this challenge, CMU researchers are collaborating with industry partners Circular Water Solutions, LLC and Ethos Collaborative to help water utilities move more quickly from design concept to engineered systems and deployable infrastructure.
