PFAS Treatment to Improve Water Quality
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging contaminants with recent regulatory levels established in many New England states. The City of Westfield has been managing PFAS contamination since 2016.
Two out of four north side wells were taken out of service in 2016 and two other wells have experienced periodic shutdowns. Due to the limitations of the City being bisected by the Westfield River, the City has limited ability to move water to the north side. In 2018, Massachusetts released new PFAS guidelines that required Well 2 to be taken off-line leaving the north side of town with limited water supplies while the City’s first PFAS water treatment plant was under construction. In response to the redundancy and reliability risks of losing three of four wells that serve the north side of town, emergency treatment was needed for Well 2. Tighe & Bond assisted the City with the design and permitting of a fast-tracked project to get Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment installed on Well 2 with a treatment capacity of up to 1,200 GPM. The emergency treatment system was designed to allow for the GAC contactor to be moved to a future permanent water treatment plant for continued use of the asset.
After evaluating alternative source options, the City determined that an additional permanent water treatment plant for Wells 1 and 2 was required. Tighe & Bond assisted the City with feasibility planning, design, permitting, and construction of a 2,600 GPM permanent water treatment plant. The design included:
- 8,400 LF of raw and finished water main
- Four 40,000 lb GAC contactors
- Chemical storage and feed facilities
- Laboratory and office space
Fast-track installation of emergency PFAS treatment and design and construction of the permanent Dry Bridge Road WTP have allowed the City of Westfield to continuously deliver safe drinking water to its customers as soon as PFAS was detected in the well water.
This project was funded by the MassDEP DWSRF program, the American Rescue Plan Act, and two DEP grants for PFAS planning and design. Construction funding consisted of approximately 40% grants with the remainder in low interest loans. Construction of the Dry Bridge Road WTP began in 2022.
Services Snapshot
Tighe & Bond assisted the City of Westfield with the design and permitting of a fast-tracked emergency treatment system. The project team also assisted the City with feasibility planning, design, permitting, and construction of a 2,600 GPM permanent water treatment plant.
