Australian tech could solve Sydney's PFAS problem

An Australian manufacturer of PFAS remediation technology has said it can solve Sydney’s PFAS water contamination problem — and the solution is being made right on the spot in Western Sydney.

Manufactured at Emu Plains, EPOC Enviro’s SAFF (surface active foam fractionation) technology has now successfully remediated more than 1 billion litres of PFAS-impacted waters at over 30 sites globally, according to the company. These sites include PFAS ground-zero locations in Minnesota (USA), and at Shoalhaven and Oakey in Australia.

In June 2024, Sydney Water released results of monitoring that indicated the presence of PFAS in some of Western Sydney’s water filtration plants, including at Blackheath, Katoomba, North Richmond and Orchard Hills. The contaminants were detected at levels that would be considered unsafe in the USA.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been used for decades in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Research indicates they have become pervasive in the environment and pose a health risk when accumulated in the body.

EPOC Enviro’s technology uses the power of the rising air bubble to sustainably separate and then concentrate target PFAS contaminants from source waters. Since launching back in 2018, the technology has evolved to capture long-chain PFAS contaminants as well as a high percentage of the more elusive short-chain compounds.

“Our technology has seen excellent traction overseas, particularly in the USA, where we are able to exceed the recently released US EPA guidelines which set far more stringent remediation levels for target PFAS contaminants than we have here in Australia,” said EPOC Enviro Managing Director Pete Murphy.

“While we are not so well known in our own backyard, we are keen to change this, as the technology is established, proven and ready to go. We can certainly meet the Australian guidelines and we can significantly improve on them,” he said.

SAFF technology is currently remediating target PFAS contaminants from landfill leachate waters at the West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot, forming part of Shoalhaven Council’s recycling and circular economy programs.

“With any new technology there’s an element of risk, but we did our homework, we looked at what’s out there in the marketplace and we identified the benefits of the SAFF system over others. While we’re only a short while into this project, we’re already amazed at the output,” said Shoalhaven City Council’s Waste Operations Coordinator, Peter Windley.

EPOC Enviro says its technology is scalable, which means that SAFF can be built to provide efficient PFAS remediation at very high volumes. In drinking water applications, SAFF can be utilised as a standalone technology or it can be partnered with other treatment technologies like reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, granular activated carbon or ion exchange resins to optimise treatment outcomes.

The ITRC, America’s pre-eminent environmental coalition, recently rated foam fractionation as having a technology readiness level of ‘nine’ — the highest level within the scale.

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