Attleboro taps IXOM Watercare for PFAS treatment plan

The City of Attleboro Water Department has selected IXOM Watercare’s MIEX magnetic ion exchange system for its new Wading River Water Treatment Plant. The system is designed to remove dissolved organic carbon before PFAS treatment, helping the city improve compliance with state and federal drinking water rules.

Why it matters: - Attleboro is trying to make its PFAS treatment system more effective before the new plant comes online. - Removing dissolved organic carbon, or DOC, can improve PFAS treatment performance and help reduce disinfection byproducts in drinking water. - The project also positions the city for current and future state and federal reporting and concentration requirements.

What happened: - IXOM Watercare was selected to provide MIEX Magnetic Ion Exchange systems to the City of Attleboro Water Department. - The system is designed for a capacity of 2 million gallons per day. - The MIEX system will be installed at the Wading River Water Treatment Plant in Attleboro, Massachusetts. - The plant was designed by Tata & Howard, Inc. and is in the early stages of construction. - IXOM Watercare expects the system to be online by summer 2028.

The details: - MIEX is a fluidized bed ion exchange solution that continuously removes DOC from water treatment plants. - The system uses automated resin regeneration to support steady DOC removal with minimal operator input. - The treatment train at the Wading River plant will combine MIEX, GreensandPlus pressure filtration and an organo-clay PFAS removal media. - The combined process is intended to deliver drinking water to the City of Attleboro that meets quality and compliance targets. - DOC can interfere with PFAS adsorption and absorption processes because the compounds compete for the same removal mechanism. - Seasonal swings in source water DOC at the Wading River plant create a water quality challenge for DBP limits and PFAS treatment effectiveness. - Pilot study results showed MIEX was effective at removing organic contaminants that drive DBP formation and reduce PFAS removal capacity. - Massachusetts already has a state enforceable maximum contaminant level for the sum of six PFAS compounds, known as PFAS6. - MassDEP will begin enforcing federal PFAS regulations in 2031. - The USEPA will require municipalities to begin reporting PFAS levels in drinking water in 2027.

Between the lines: - The Attleboro project reflects a broader shift toward treating PFAS as part of a larger water chemistry problem, not a standalone contaminant issue. - The city is addressing DOC first, which should help protect the performance of downstream PFAS removal systems. - Early investment in pretreatment may reduce the risk of underperforming PFAS infrastructure after the plant opens.

What's next: - Construction will continue at the Wading River Water Treatment Plant. - The MIEX system will be added before the plant’s GreensandPlus filtration and PFAS media treatment steps. - Attleboro will need to prepare for EPA PFAS reporting requirements in 2027 and Massachusetts enforcement changes in 2031. - The system is expected to start serving the city by summer 2028.

The bottom line: - Attleboro is building a layered treatment approach to improve PFAS removal, manage DOC and stay ahead of tightening drinking water rules.

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