News

Groundbreaking ceremony for Dracut Water Supply District’s Tyngsborough Wellfield Facility PFAS Treatment Upgrade.

As Massachusetts communities move from initial PFAS response measures to permanent drinking water treatment, their experiences offer practical lessons for other water suppliers. Decisions made early in planning can influence how a facility fits into the existing water system, accommodates future changes, and supports day-to-day operations. 

Treatment approaches depend on local conditions, including source water quality, available space, existing infrastructure, and operating capabilities. For communities beginning or advancing PFAS treatment projects, four considerations can help connect immediate water quality needs with long-term investments. 

Understanding Source Water Before Selecting Treatment 

Source evaluation provides a foundation for treatment decisions. Water suppliers need to understand where PFAS is present, how concentrations vary, and what other water quality conditions may influence treatment. Pilot testing can help translate that information into a strategy suited to the community’s supplies. 

“Two communities can face similar PFAS concentrations and still need different treatment approaches,” says Vice President Lou Soracco. “Pilot testing helps us understand how a process performs with a community’s own water, giving suppliers a stronger basis for decisions about treatment selection and long-term operations.” 

Planning Around the Broader Water System 

PFAS treatment should be evaluated alongside iron and manganese removal, disinfection, corrosion control, distribution infrastructure, and future capacity needs. Considering these relationships early helps communities identify improvements that need to advance together. Tighe & Bond’s work in Littleton illustrates how pilot testing informed an integrated treatment approach. 

Operators also bring essential knowledge to planning. Their input can help teams evaluate maintenance access, monitoring requirements, and staffing needs. Considering ongoing expenses, including treatment media replacement, helps communities look beyond construction costs when comparing options. 

Accounting for Future Changes During Design 

Flexibility becomes more useful when translated into specific design decisions. Reserving space for additional equipment and considering how future treatment processes would connect to a facility can help communities prepare for changing requirements and supply needs. 

The Dracut Water Supply District’s planning for future PFAS treatment illustrates how an earlier infrastructure investment can support a subsequent expansion. 

Planning the Transition to Permanent Operations 

Funding, permitting, procurement, and construction sequencing need to be considered together. Establishing these connections early helps suppliers develop a realistic implementation plan and explain the process to municipal leaders and residents. 

“Communities need to think about how they will maintain drinking water service throughout the transition to permanent treatment,” says Senior Project Manager Danielle Teixeira. “Considering temporary measures, construction sequencing, and operator training together helps connect the immediate response to a facility the water supplier can manage over the long term.” 

Tighe & Bond has supported Massachusetts communities as designer and Owner’s Project Manager on PFAS treatment facilities. For water suppliers preparing their next steps, a useful starting point is to bring source data, infrastructure priorities, operating needs, and funding considerations into one planning discussion. Involving operators, municipal decision-makers, and technical teams early helps establish a shared understanding of what the project needs to accomplish and how to move it forward.