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Interior of a water treatment plant with large beige tanks, blue pipes, and chemical containers.Interior of a water treatment plant with large beige tanks, blue pipes, and chemical containers.

Ayer combats PFAS with dual treatment systems 

To safeguard its drinking water, the Ayer Department of Public Works partnered with CDM Smith to design two tailored PFAS treatment systems using innovative adsorption technologies. 

Client

Town of Ayer

Location

Ayer, Massachusetts

Practices

Drinking WaterEmerging Contaminants

Markets

Local Government

Priorities

PFAS

Connect with an expert

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Ji Im PE
Environmental Engineer

Pioneering dual-technology PFAS treatment

When PFAS contamination emerged in Ayer’s groundwater, the DPW took swift action. In partnership with CDM Smith, the town designed two treatment systems using granular activated carbon and anion exchange resin, enabling Ayer to meet evolving regulations and ensure reliable drinking water for its community.  

Site-specific treatment 

System designs (AIX at Grove Pond and GAC at Spectacle Pond) were tailored to each source’s chemistry. 

Accelerated design and delivery 

Full-scale design was completed in four months, moving quickly from study to construction while meeting state standards.

Testing and validating treatment technologies

Bench-scale testing at CDM Smith’s Bellevue lab determined optimal performance, ensuring long-term efficiency. 

Collaboration for community safety 

Ayer DPW, CDM Smith, and state and federal agencies worked together to share data shaping PFAS policy statewide. 

Supported by $4.4 million in federal funding, Ayer’s two systems combine science, foresight and community commitment. “You really have to look at what the different options are with respect to your operations, your water quality, the expertise of your staff,” said Mark Wetzel, Ayer DPW superintendent. The project now serves as a model for small towns tackling PFAS nationwide.  

AIX marks the spot

Learn more about how Ayer's Department of Public Works leveraged different technologies to remove PFAS from drinking water.

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Curious to learn more? 

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project. 

Im_Jihyon-2022.jpg

Ji Im

Environmental Engineer

Ji specializes in drinking water treatment projects for municipal clients and has worked on numerous PFAS treatment studies and design and construction projects in the Northeast.

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