Solid waste operators are facing a shift that is bigger than a new permit condition or sampling requirement. Regulation is no longer just about where waste goes. It’s about who ultimately owns the long-term risk. Nowhere is this more sharply felt than in the management of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Most of us in this industry agree that regulations, at least at the state level, are only going one way: tighter and wider controls on how PFAS is managed through the entire waste stream.
The good news is that science and technology around PFAS is keeping pace with regulations, and operators who invest in the right treatment strategy now will be better positioned than those who wait.
The case for acting now
There is a growing recognition that liability, especially for emerging contaminants such as PFAS, remains with operators even after waste leaves the site: liability cannot be outsourced further down the waste stream.
Typically, leachate is offloaded to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs), but with regulations of their own to manage, POTWs are increasingly likely to refuse to accept PFAS wastewater. We have seen examples of this happening already. Capturing PFAS with granulated activated carbon (GAC) is a good start, but without further steps it is not enough of a solution, because the PFAS can leach from carbon capture.
Part of the pressure on landfills comes from increasing urban sprawl. Population growth has brought residents much closer to site limits. That proximity brings with it a demand for transparency, and the need for a proactive approach to data collection.
Risk management not risk transfer
PFAS is a complex waste stream to manage; no single approach works in every case.
The sensible approach is a purpose-built PFAS separation and concentration technology, one that significantly reduces secondary waste volume and creates a clearer pathway to destruction.
Containment without a clear end-of-life pathway for the concentrated waste stream is not risk elimination. It is risk transfer, often with added complexity.
FOAM-X™ is a purpose-built solution for variable leachates, using foam fractionation to concentrate PFAS for destruction and minimising secondary waste. It helps landfills prepare for future regulatory requirements and challenges the perception that the technology is expensive and hard to fit. It’s modular and fits within the existing site, providing a lower-cost, flexible solution that directly tackles PFAS contamination.
The technology is already in successful operational use at landfill sites. For example, in 2024, Waste Connections installed the technology at its Champ Landfill site to remove PFAS from leachate wastewater before sending it to a water treatment plant. That system now removes PFAS from 2 million gallons of leachate per month.
What is FOAM-X™ (Foam Fractionation)?
PFAS impacted water enters the Foam Fractionator Air and turbulence start the foaming process PFAS compounds enter the foamate. Second stage process allows shorter-chain compounds to also enter the foamate. Foamate (PFAS concentrated waste stream) can then be ultra concentrated utilizing our Superloader™. The highlight concentrated PFAS waste stream can now be paired with a destruction technology
Planning for long-term PFAS risk
The Champ Landfill site demonstrates how a proactive waste management strategy addresses the long-term environmental impacts of waste disposal.
Forward-thinking operators are taking a broader view of PFAS across water, air and gas. They are investing in pilot testing, collecting defensible data and building multi-year treatment strategies rather than reacting to individual permit conditions. Data collection and transparency also mean landfills can initiate conversations with communities, keeping them informed of progress.
Some operators are turning risk into opportunity by investing in and proactively managing their own PFAS waste stream, and then taking on others’ waste streams to treat.
Early pilot testing and data-driven treatment planning are the most effective tools for stabilising long-term financial exposure. The direction of travel for public and regulatory pressure is clear. Operators that own the PFAS contamination narrative and treat it holistically and with a community-focus will have a strategic advantage.
