Client
Public School in North Carolina
Services
Well water laboratory testing, installation of K5 Drinking Water Stations® and point-of-entry GAC systems
Combatting PFAS Forever Chemicals in a NC Public School’s Water
We were contacted by a representative of the Department of Environmental Quality regarding concerns over chemical contamination of well water at a public school in North Carolina. The NCDEQ conducts random testing of well water and expressed concerns about water quality at this site.
Having done business with the NCDEQ in the past, they contacted us to conduct more in-depth analysis and testing to determine what issues were present, at what level and how to best remediate any water contamination.
Our Initial Approach
Water Tests Indicate Unsafe PFAS Levels
Contaminant tests conducted through the school found very high levels of PFAS chemicals at a combined level of 7,000 parts per trillion (ppt). These are extremely elevated in comparison to the EPA’s proposed limit of 4-10 ppt, depending on the compound.
According to the EPA, there are no safe limits for PFAS compounds in drinking water.
Below are the school’s water test results in parts per trillion (ppt) prior to installing treatment. Well #1 is 300 feet deep and showed the highest PFAS results, with Well #3 at 800 feet depth, showing the lowest preliminary PFAS levels. School water was being chlorinated at the entry point after water from the wells was combined, pre Kinetico.
| Contaminant | Well #1 | Well #3 | Tap Near Kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA | 3,690 | 6.8 | 761 |
| PFOS | 2,660 | 2.0 | 563 |
| GenX | 0.3 | ND | 0.2 |
| PFNA | 39.5 | ND | 22 |
| PFBS | 258 | 3.4 | 157 |
| PFHxS | 431 | 3.1 | 232 |
Solution
Installing School-Wide Reverse Osmosis and Filtration
We installed both point-of-entry and point-of-use systems in the school, including K5 Drinking Water Stations® at every drinking water fountain and sinks used for drinking water. We also installed a large passive-tank lead-lag point-of-entry system, which uses Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) to significantly reduce PFAS and contaminants from the entire facility.
Finally, to mitigate elevated arsenic levels also detected in the water, we installed a commercial-grade KineticoPRO Hydrus® Series Backwashing Filtration System.
Results
Safer Drinking Water With 99% PFAS Reduction
We ordered laboratory testing of the school’s water after installing the water systems, and the results confirmed a NON-DETECT for all PFAS compounds. This means the forever chemicals were removed to below detectable limits, below 1.0 to 1.7 ppt or ng/L, on today’s testing technology. Testing will continue twice per year to ensure the effectiveness of the systems installed.
Contact Kinetico for Industry-Leading Commercial Water Treatment Services
Keep your business running smoothly with cleaner, purer water with Kinetico. Our water experts provide in-depth commercial and industrial testing and a wide range of non-electric water systems, customizable to your needs, for effective treatment of all water problems, from targeting harmful contaminants to optimizing water-use efficiency. Contact us today to learn more or get started with a free water analysis.
