U.S. Water Utilities Deploy PFAS Treatment Technologies to Safeguard Drinking Water for Communities

Holiday parks with leisure facilities depend on the efficient flow of water for pools, water rides, wastewater and other applications. For 30 years, Xylem has partnered with Center Parcs De Eemhof, a leading holiday park in the Netherlands, to solve some of the park’s toughest water challenges – and keep the water flowing for the many holiday goers who visit each year.

New regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established legally enforceable limits for certain PFAS in drinking water. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are a category of manufactured chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products, which are resistant to breakdown in the environment and are commonly found in water sources.

Yorkshire Water, which provides water services to 5 million people in England, was spending too much time managing pump blockages at hundreds of pumping stations. To solve the problem, the utility tested Xylem’s intelligent Flygt Concertor N pump at a problematic site. After the pump eliminated all blockages, Yorkshire Water has now deployed the pump at over 150 pump stations, decreasing reactive callouts by 51% and contributing to a 29% reduction in energy use.

In northeast Oregon in the U.S., the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is managing a project to replenish freshwater mussels, a “First Food” of the tribes. The project involves growing thousands of juvenile mussels in a laboratory, but providing them with the right levels of nutrients and water was a challenge. Now with Xylem’s Flojet pumping solution, 95% of the mussels survive to six weeks, compared to 30% before.

Dutch water utility Dunea supplies 1.3 million people with drinking water and has been a leader in water innovation for decades. In the 1950s, when population growth increased demand for clean water in the area, Dunea developed a unique, sustainable process to help increase supply.

The Kariba Dam holds back the world’s largest artificial reservoir and generates power for millions of people in Zambia and Zimbabwe. A recent study of the dam showed how it affects the release of greenhouse gas emissions in the reservoir and downstream. Using Xylem’s YSI EXO2 multiparameter sonde for continuous monitoring, researchers gained new insights into how hydropower plants can be optimized to reduce carbon emissions.