Emerging PFAS trends: Insights from Xylem's innovation leader on the Water Values Podcast

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the first-ever national drinking water standard in the U.S. for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. PFAS – also referred to as “forever chemicals” – are a growing concern because of their potential health risks to humans and impact on the environment.

In a recent episode of the Water Values Podcast, Snehal Desai, Xylem’s Senior Vice President and Chief Growth and Innovation Officer, shares expert insights on the new PFAS regulation and PFAS-fighting technologies. Drawing on Xylem’s 10+ years of experience helping customers solve PFAS, Desai discusses key issues such as:

• The impact of the new PFAS rules on water operators and communities, the importance of the three-year monitoring timeline and comparisons to other environmental regulatory rollouts.
  
  
• The biggest challenges, risks and opportunities the regulations present to water operators and the broader water sector. 
  
  
• Proven technologies and available funding that utilities can access right now to ensure compliance. 
  
  
• An in-depth look at case studies from pace-setting utilities.
  
  
• The growing interest in mobile PFAS mitigation systems.
  
  
• The potential for treating wastewater effluent streams for PFAS remediation.

Desai also gives a glimpse into the next generation of PFAS-fighting technologies across three categories – detection, treatment and disposal – and talks about why partnering with technology providers and other stakeholders will be more crucial than ever.

“As we go forward, it’s going to be critical for water utility partners to offer more of a consultative approach to utilities to help them navigate these new requirements, understand the options available to them, and help them put the right solutions in place,” says Desai.

The Water Values podcast series, hosted by Dave McGimpsey, is presented in collaboration with Bluefield Research and co-sponsored by Xylem.

Listen to the interview with Snehal Desai.