Wastewater

Our wastewater treatment works (WwTWs) receive PFAS through domestic sewage, trade effluent from industrial processes and from materials containing PFAS such as surface water run-off and tankered waste (e.g. landfill leachate). WwTWs have not been designed to remove PFAS and currently there is no effective technological solution for PFAS removal from wastewater.

In the UK, there is a current lack of regulation or guidance for PFAS in wastewater, trade effluent and tankered waste and no consistent standard for detecting and measuring PFAS.

PFOS is the only member of the PFAS family that has an Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) set under the Water Framework Directive Regulations. This is a set concentration in water bodies to protect human and environmental health.  

Over the last decade, we have been sampling a selection of our sites to understand the concentrations of PFOS in the effluent. This will continue as part of an expanded sampling programme under the Water Industry National Environment Programme with the expectation there will be no deterioration from the current baseline at selected sites. This will include sampling in the sewerage network, with the purpose of identifying ways to reduce the amount of PFOS entering our network from source control within the wastewater catchment.

We are collaborating with partners to bring about research into technologies and guidance to treat at source. We support the implementation of science based environmental water quality standards for PFAS through the polluter pays principle. Extra costs should not be borne by water companies and their customers. Through the sector’s Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP4), we will take part in research to build further knowledge and understanding of PFAS in WwTWs.