IXOM Watercare has been selected to provide its MIEX Magnetic Ion Exchange system to the City of Attleboro Water Department in Massachusetts, US, to support the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water.
With a capacity of two million gallons per day, the MIEX system will remove dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the treatment process before PFAS treatment. DOC can interfere with PFAS adsorption and absorption processes by competing with PFAS for the same removal mechanisms.
“Regulatory requirements and constituent concerns surrounding PFAS in drinking water drive many communities to invest in PFAS removal technologies,” said Russ Swerdfeger, head of marketing and strategy at IXOM Watercare. “As major investments are being made into PFAS solutions, many utilities are overlooking the impact that DOC can have on reducing PFAS treatment efficiency. The City of Attleboro is taking early action to ensure their PFAS treatment strategies will be as effective as possible.”
The MIEX system is also expected to support Attleboro in meeting current and future federal and state requirements for organics removal, disinfection byproduct (DBP) production and PFAS in drinking water.
In 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection established a state-enforceable maximum contaminant level for the combined concentration of six PFAS compounds (PFAS6) in drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency will also require municipalities to begin reporting PFAS levels in drinking water from 2027, with federal PFAS regulations due to be enforced from 2031.
MIEX is a fluidised-bed ion exchange solution designed to provide continuous removal of DOC. Its automated resin regeneration enables consistent removal with limited operator input and can be integrated into existing treatment processes.
The system will be installed at the Attleboro Water Department’s Wading River Water Treatment Plant, designed by engineering firm Tata & Howard and currently under construction. The treatment train will combine MIEX with GreensandPlus pressure filtration and an organo-clay PFAS removal media.
“The source water treated at the Wading River Water Treatment Plant contains fluctuating levels of DOC seasonally and presents a water quality challenge that needs to be addressed for the city to maintain compliance with DBP production limits and for a PFAS solution to be effective,” said Ryan Neyland, vice-president at Tata & Howard. “Based on pilot study results, IXOM Watercare’s MIEX system has proven to be effective at removing the organic contaminants that are not only precursors that cause high levels of DBP formation in the finished water, but also interfere with or reduce the capacity of the PFAS removal solutions.”
The MIEX system is expected to become operational at the new Wading River Water Treatment Plant by summer 2028.
