An innovative technology that destroys PFAS chemicals in water has proven to be effective, according to officials at Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority.
In a recent announcement, the utility company said it found encouraging results after two years of piloting TruClear Solutions’ new system at two of its water supply locations with levels of PFAS that exceeded the Pennsylvania DEP’s standards.
To remove the so-called “forever chemicals,” the Texas-based company said it uses electricity to create chemical reactions that eliminate the PFOA and PFOS from the water.
Using its patented technology to operate its Advanced Molecular Oxidation System, TruClear Solutions said it achieves a “thorough destruction of PFAS chemicals” without generating contaminates that need further treatment before disposal.
“Our mission is to treat water without chemicals or heat, producing minimal waste back into the environment,” said John Ayers, president and CEO of TruClear Solutions, in a statement. “We deliver a ‘green solution’ and purer end-product while reducing treatment and transportation costs.”
Independent lab results showed a more than 90% reduction in PFAS chemicals, with some approaching 100%, according to TruClear.
The results will be sent to PADEP for review. If the new system is approved for installation, TruClear Solutions said it would manage and operate the program using a local workforce.
The water supplies in New Hope Borough and Solebury Township were part of the pilot project.
No water utility in the world has yet to install the new system, said BCWSA. If approved, Bucks County would be the first to begin removing PFAS with the new system, the agency said.
“We are striving to make ‘forever chemicals’ no longer forever,” said John Cordisco, BCWSA board chairman, in a statement. “We are committed to investing in this technology and eliminating potentially harmful chemicals from drinking water for Bucks County residents.
“It’s a remarkable moment for the county to be a leader in addressing an issue that impacts communities across the globe,” said Cordisco.
The PFAS chemicals — PFOA and PFOS — have exacted a particularly heavy toll on residents and businesses near the border of Bucks and Montgomery counties, where now-shuttered military bases in Warminster and Horsham townships, for years, used firefighting foams containing the chemicals.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancer, heart and liver problems and developmental damage to infants and children.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set a national drinking water standard of 4 parts per trillion for two of the toxic “forever chemicals” that have infiltrated water supplies around the country.
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