Jacobs Awarded PFAS Treatment Testing Support Services Contract with the Orange County Water District

Jacobs is collaborating with the OCWD on the largest pilot program in the U.S. to identify a local treatment remedy for removing PFAS from groundwater

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Jacobs

Jan 28, 2020, 07:45 ET

DALLAS, Jan. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has been selected by the Orange County Water District (OCWD) to provide treatment testing support services for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of oil and water-resistant chemicals found in numerous everyday consumer products and airport firefighting foams that have infiltrated groundwater supplies over several decades.

California has established notification levels for PFOA and PFOS (two of the most common and widely detected PFAS) at 5.1 and 6.5 ng/L (parts per trillion) respectively, which are some of the most stringent values in the country. While the levels of PFAS in Orange County groundwater wells are relatively low, OCWD and its retail water agencies are exploring long-term solutions to ensure that water supplies continue to meet all state and federal water quality standards.

"Jacobs' unique ability to shape the industry for PFAS solutions is drawn from our multidisciplinary capabilities in environmental, water, wastewater, solid waste, aviation and infrastructure," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President and Global Environmental Market Director Jan Walstrom. "We challenge today and reinvent tomorrow by integrating both proven and leading-edge detection and treatment technologies to address PFAS chemicals transported in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, wastewater, leachate and soil."

The goal of the pilot program is to help retail water agencies in Orange County determine the best available PFAS treatment methods. Jacobs and OCWD will be testing different types of granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange (IX) products, as well as novel adsorbents just emerging in the market, to determine which applications are best suited for Orange County's diverse aquifer water quality and geochemistry.

For more than a decade, Jacobs' water and environmental technologists have been supporting municipal, federal and commercial clients with PFAS assessment and treatment around the globe. Additionally, since 2013, the company has been working on multiple U.S. Department of Defense research projects for PFAS characterization, treatment and remediation. Jacobs' technologists and scientists are partnering with the world's leading academics to better characterize, understand behavior and develop increasingly effective cleanup technologies for PFAS in groundwater and soil.

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE Jacobs