The City of Tampa is building a new facility that will use Suspended Ion Exchange (SIX) treatment technology to remove PFAS and organic matter from the local water supply. This SIX facility will be the first of its kind in North America and the largest SIX installation in the world.

Tampa Drinking Water Supply

The new facility will be built at the David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility. According to Sarah Burns, water planning manager for the city of Tampa Water Department, pilot testing confirmed that SIX directly removes 30% of PFAS, and it also removes 50% of organic matter before the conventional treatment process begins, making everything more efficient and effective.

Staff with Carollo Engineers, one of the city water department’s partners, said Tampa’s water quality and variability makes the city a great candidate for this technology. Vincent Hart with Carollo Engineers explained that SIX technology will work well in Tampa because it dampens the peaks and valleys on treatment, making the plant a lot easier to run.

Local PFAS

Water officials noted during a press conference that it is unclear exactly what is causing the levels of PFAS in the river. However, they gave examples of common items where PFAS can be found, including fast food packaging, pesticides, pizza boxes, cleaning products, and non-stick cookware.

The SIX process eliminated the need for certain treatment chemicals, which city leaders say translates to annual projected savings of roughly $2 million. This new technology will also position Tampa to meet drinking water regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Work to start building the facility should start in about a year to a year-and-a-half, and it’s expected to be complete by 2032.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.