Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Stantec has been selected by the City of Vancouver, Washington, to design a treatment system to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a high-volume water station—with the goal of providing cleaner, more reliable drinking water for the community.
Stantec will also provide engineering services during construction for the treatment facility at Vancouver’s Water Station 4, one of the first stations in Vancouver’s water supply that will treat water for PFAS. When complete, this PFAS filter system will treat up to 12.2 million gallons per day, making it the largest PFAS project in the Northwestern US in terms of treatment capability.
In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a requirement for all public water utilities in the US to reduce PFAS in drinking water by 2029. In accordance, cities and municipalities around the US are exploring proper treatment systems to address PFAS in their water supply. The EPA will also require public water systems to begin reporting on PFAS levels in 2027.
According to industry research, PFAS treatment is estimated to cost water utilities approximately $40 billion.
“Water and wastewater utilities across the US are taking important action to treat PFAS in their water supply,” said Matt Travers, Stantec executive vice president and business operating unit leader, Water. “For the City of Vancouver, we’re leveraging the strengths of our regional team along with national practitioners to address this challenge, meet regulatory standards, and provide long-term safety and reliability in the community’s drinking water supply.”
Upgrades necessary to remove PFAS
On average, the City of Vancouver delivers 10.1 billion gallons per year of drinking water to more than 270,000 people in a 72-square mile service area. In 2023, the City started a program to test for and report PFAS in drinking water, discovering that upgrades were necessary to properly treat and reduce PFAS contaminants to meet anticipated state and federal regulations.
Stantec’s design will integrate the treatment system into the Water Station 4 site while keeping it functional and maintaining water supply for the City during construction. Treatment facility construction is expected to begin this October and be completed in early 2028, over a year ahead of the EPA’s compliance deadline for public water systems.
Stantec is working with multiple public water utilities to address PFAS and help clients comply with state and federal regulations. Learn more about Stantec’s experience around PFAS and emerging contaminants.
