EPA’s New PFAS Rules Under Siege by Water Utility Trade Groups, Continuing a Trend of Regulatory Resistance
October, 2024
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a legal challenge to its new drinking water limits for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), spearheaded by U.S. water utilities. These utilities, represented by their trade groups, argue that the EPA’s rules are based on flawed data, though they claim not to oppose PFAS regulation outright. This resistance is part of a broader pattern, as utilities and their trade associations have a long history of opposing stricter water quality regulations, including limits on toxic substances like lead and carcinogenic disinfectants. Despite their mission to provide safe water, these groups have frequently lobbied against rules designed to enhance water safety, often in collaboration with the chemical industry.
The trade groups leading this opposition, particularly the American Water Works Association (AWWA), have faced criticism for prioritizing financial concerns over public health. For decades, these groups have delayed or weakened regulations, including those related to the removal of lead pipes. Critics argue that the industry’s actions have led to prolonged public health risks and higher costs for consumers. While the Biden administration has proposed more stringent regulations, such as replacing all lead pipes within ten years, the AWWA continues to push back, citing high costs and feasibility issues, despite evidence of the long-term benefits of such measures.
For further reading, please click here.
The agreement was signed with Envytech Solutions, the leading expert in mobile water treatment in the Nordic region and a member of the Sortera Group, which operates across the Nordics and the UK. This follows a successful field pilot treating groundwater contaminated with aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a known source of PFAS pollution. The pilot project was part of a larger infrastructure remediation initiative. “This milestone marks our transition from pilot projects to full-scale commercial deployment,” said Vincent Caillaud, Chief Executive Officer at Puraffinity. “It validates years of R&D and customer collaboration. More importantly, it signals the beginning of a broader rollout as we address PFAS pollution across industries and geographies, allowing us to bring value to customers in their challenges to remove PFAS from water.’’ The deployment reduces Envytech’s current volume of 4000 L of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) with just 200 L of Puraffinity’s Puratech G400, an advanced adsorbent media engineered for high selectivity and efficiency. As well as the significant reduction in material volume, it is estimated Envytech will benefit from an estimated 50% increase in lifespan, reducing system downtime and stretching replacement intervals. Lower labour and less waste handling cut operating costs, while the smaller system reduces capital expenditure. The new solution also aligns with tightening global PFAS regulations. “We’ve demonstrated that PFAS removal can be cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable,” said Neal Megonnell, Chief Commercial Officer. “By helping our partners lower their operational footprint and costs, we’re not only solving a technical problem but also driving tangible progress toward environmental and regulatory goals.” The field pilot confirmed that Puratech G400’s laboratory performance holds under real-world conditions, and delivers reliable PFAS removal even in complex water, with contact times reduced from 24 minutes to just 1 minute. The technology also offers modular scalability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from industrial wastewater and remediation sites to municipal water systems. Erik Löfgren, Sales Manager at Envytech Solutions, said “Puratech G400 exceeded our performance expectations and will reduce the waste we generate. It’s a vital upgrade as we push toward greener, more efficient operations.” Puratech G400’s unique surface chemistry enables it to selectively capture a broad range of PFAS compounds, including both short- and long-chain variants. Its performance and adaptability make it a strong candidate for long-term, global deployment as PFAS regulations become more stringent. Looking ahead, Puraffinity is preparing for additional commercial rollouts across Europe and North America, working closely with partners in various sectors.
Puraffinity has been selected to present at Tech Tour Water Tech 2025 in Copenhagen. This conference is a leading European investment and innovation event focused on water technology, taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 11-12, 2025. The event is designed to accelerate the growth of startups and scale-ups developing solutions for the water sector by connecting them with top-tier investors, corporate partners, and industry experts.
The 2025 edition will be held April 22–24 at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. The conference emphasises cutting-edge solutions, regulatory updates, and industry collaboration, with sessions tailored for dealers, manufacturers, and researchers across residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment sectors. Our CEO, Vincent Caillaud, CCO, Neal Megonnell and Sales and Business Development Manager, Ryan Adams , will be in attendance.
The World Water-Tech Innovation Summit will bring together 600 global water utilities, regulators, engineering firms, technology giants and start-ups to accelerate energy efficiency and circular solutions for climate-resilient water systems. Our CTO, Jess Middlemiss , will be speaking on the Aligning Policy and Innovation to Fight Water Pollutants panel, on Wednesday February 26, 2025.
Neal Megonnell brings over three decades of experience in various leadership, technology and sales roles in the carbon industry to his new position at Puraffinity. His extensive background and expertise in the water treatment sector and the specific technologies for removing contaminants make him an invaluable addition to the company's executive team. In his role as CCO, Neal will be responsible for driving Puraffinity's commercial strategy, expanding market presence, and accelerating growth in the rapidly evolving field of PFAS removal technologies. "We are thrilled to welcome Neal to our team," said Vincent Caillaud, CEO of Puraffinity. "His impressive track record in the industry, coupled with his deep understanding of PFAS-related challenges, aligns perfectly with our mission. His background in R&D, with multiple published papers and two patents related to activated carbon, will be instrumental in driving our commercial success and furthering our goal of providing innovative PFAS removal solutions." Neal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master’s in Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces. This strong academic foundation, combined with his extensive industry experience, positions him well to lead Puraffinity's commercial efforts in addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Neal's expertise is extensively demonstrated through his strategic involvement in various professional committees, including Chair of the American Water Works Association Standards on Activated Carbon Committee, the ASTM D28 Activated Carbon Committee, and serving as Chairman of the Standards for Activated Carbon. "I am thrilled to join Puraffinity at this exciting time," said Neal Megonnell. "The company's commitment to developing sustainable adsorbent materials for PFAS removal aligns with my passion for innovative water treatment solutions. I look forward to working with the talented team at Puraffinity to expand our market reach and deliver cutting-edge technologies to communities and industries worldwide."
October, 2024 Puraffinity, which develops precision technologies to remove toxic “forever chemicals” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water, has appointed Jessica Middlemiss as Chief Technology Officer. Jessica joins from Matter, an environmentally focussed startup which develops technology to remove micro-scale pollution from water. Prior to Matter, Jesscia was Head of Plastics Technology at Sartorius and spent ten years at Dyson including two years as Head of Operations for The Dyson Institute – Dyson’s in-house undergraduate degree-apprenticeship programme. “Jessica has a really broad technical and business network across both industry and academia which is valuable to us,” said Puraffinity co-founder Henrik Hagemann. “Jessica brings relevant start-up experience from her time at Matter, leading a large team of scientists at Sartorius and held a variety of engineering and management positions at Dyson. We are delighted to have her join us.” “I believe I have the combination of technical understanding and people skills which will help Puraffinity flourish,” said Jessica. “I have built my career on an ability to bring together exceptional technical people to work on clear and targeted challenges as a team. I know how to get people motivated and focussed on a common goal that delivers commercially for the organisation.” Jessica has a Masters in materials science and engineering from Imperial College London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3).