AGWT Florida PFAS Workshop, Tallahassee

The American Ground Water Trust program is hosting a problem assessment and treatment strategies workshop to find solutions to groundwater contamination from PFAS and Related Compounds, at FSU in Tallahassee on January 8, 2020.

SCS Engineers’ Wastewater Treatment Director, Viraj deSilva, PhD, PE, BCEE, will deliver a presentation on “Dealing with PFAS Contaminated Groundwater” (8:45 – 9:15 am)

This one-day workshop will discuss:

• Legal basis for regulatory intervention
• Water quality sampling & analysis challenges
• Extent of contamination by PFAS compounds in the U.S.
• Economic effects of impacted groundwater on end-users and utilities
• Summary of latest research findings on health and environmental impacts
• Legal remedies for recovering treatment costs by utilities and water agencies
• Air emissions/deposition as a potential pathway to groundwater contamination
• Equipment options for removal of perfluorinated compounds from groundwater

Many states are confronting contamination of groundwater and surface water from so-called emerging contaminants. Communities responding to groundwater contamination face technical, regulatory and legal challenges. Water providers urgently need to address the resulting health issues, regulations, property values, remediation options, and infrastructure costs. This workshop will help water providers, elected officials, citizens and community leaders with policy, planning and management decisions.

Over 5.000 PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) occur in the world today and many PFAS compounds transform into highly persistent perfluorinated chemicals in the environment. The compounds are connected to several cancers, liver, kidney and reproductive disorders and other health effects.

Workshop participants will learn about the chemistry background, sampling & testing protocols, treatment technologies, cost recovery options and the characteristics of environmental persistence of contamination. Presenters will provide case studies of technical solutions for treatment and remediation. The program will also discuss regulatory and legal solutions to protecting drinking water integrity from a range of contaminants and will consider ways to find funding to pay for treatment of contaminated groundwater.

Register Today!