Keeping disposal options open as PFAS requirements tighten
Landfill leachate and wastewater management is shifting quickly. Many facilities now operate under narrower disposal pathways as POTWs apply lower PFAS thresholds, adjust maximum contaminant level (MCL) expectations and increase charges or decline loads altogether. That combination raises operating pressure and makes continuity planning a day-to-day requirement, not a future exercise.
At Champ Landfill in St. Louis, Missouri, Waste Connections set out to stay ahead of those constraints. The priority was clear: maintain a reliable discharge pathway while building confidence that the site could respond to changing PFAS requirements without repeated redesign.
Turning a moving target into a buildable plan
The project team aligned early on decision criteria that matched real operations. The system needed to fit within a working site, handle variable flows and deliver a discharge approach that could stand up to increasing scrutiny. Just as important, the delivery model needed tight coordination across permitting, design, construction and commissioning so the schedule stayed intact.
Onterris worked alongside the Waste Connections team to design and build a PFAS treatment facility using scalable proprietary equipment. The Foam-X process was selected to create a practical removal pathway that could adapt as discharge requirements evolve.
Treating leachate in real time with Foam-X
The system intercepts landfill leachate wastewater at an average flow rate of 73 gallons per minute, with peak flow rates up to 81 gallons per minute. After treatment, the wastewater discharges back to the original sanitary sewer system, where it continues to a wastewater treatment facility for final treatment.
Foam-X concentrates PFAS into a thick foam that is collected in a separate tank and collapsed into a liquid stream. That liquid then passes through SuperLoader media vessels that capture PFAS molecules and immobilize them on the treatment media. Treated liquid is returned to the head of the plant for reprocessing. Media changeout occurs monthly to quarterly based on exhaustion of capture capacity.
PFAS projects move fastest when design, operations and compliance decisions happen in the same room. This team kept the process tight from permitting through commissioning, with a system built for real flows and real constraints.
A delivery model that supports today and scales for what comes next
The wastewater treatment facility was completed within the specified timeframe and budget, establishing a dependable approach for managing PFAS at Champ Landfill. Beyond performance at a single site, the build provides a repeatable framework that can extend to additional landfills as needs change, without starting from zero each time.
This work reflects what solid waste operators increasingly need: practical science that translates into field-ready systems, delivered by integrated teams who stay engaged through implementation and adjustment as regulatory and operational conditions evolve.
Learn more about Onterris landfill leachate treatment systems.