Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ME_2024_Miller

Guiding Sustainable Enhanced PFAS Drinking Water Treatment Options

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $40,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $40,059

Principal Investigators: T. Reed Miller

Project Summary: Exposure to PFAS, the so-called Forever Chemicals, via contaminated drinking water poses negative health risks to residents. The US EPA is set to establish national limits on the amount of PFAS in drinking water that are lower than those currently enforced in Maine. We estimate that at least 11% of Maine’s public water systems would need to invest in treatment in order to meet the new national limits. However, the four major treatment technologies available often have large carbon footprints, which is a challenge as Maine has an ambitious carbon neutrality goal. In this project, we will create thorough comparisons between the treatment options, including their environmental impact, and create an informational resource. We will meet with Maine water system stakeholders several times to understand their approaches to and concerns regarding meeting the new limits, to pilot the use of our resource for feedback, and then to distribute it broadly.