Orange County Water District (OCWD) has selected Jacobs to participate in a pilot program to provide contracted treatment testing support services for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the company announced on Tuesday.
“Jacobs’ unique ability to shape the industry for PFAS solutions is drawn from our multidisciplinary capabilities in environmental, water, wastewater, solid waste, aviation and infrastructure,” said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President and Global Environmental Market Director Jan Walstrom.
PFAS are a family of oil and water-resistant chemicals found in everyday consumer products and airport firefighting foams that have infiltrated groundwater supplies over several decades.
Jacobs will help OCWD explore long-term solutions to ensure that water supplies continue to meet all state and federal water quality standards before the levels of PFAS in Orange County groundwater wells grow.
The goal of the pilot program is to help retail water agencies in Orange County determine the best available PFAS treatment methods. Jacobs will provide testing of different types of granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange (IX) products and adsorbents to determine which applications are best suited for Orange County’s diverse aquifer water quality and geochemistry.
“We challenge today and reinvent tomorrow by integrating both proven and leading-edge detection and treatment technologies to address PFAS chemicals transported in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, wastewater, leachate and soil,” added Walstrom.
Additionally, Jacobs has donated $467,230 to the Water For People nonprofit organization to help end the global water crisis with sustainable solutions, the company announced on Jan. 22 2020.
“One in three people globally don’t have access to safe water. One in two people, more than half of us walking the planet, don’t have access to adequate sanitation,” said Water For People CEO Eleanor Allen.
A yearly company initiative, Jacobs will help provide water sanitation services to Water For People’s journey to Destination 2030. The 10-year initiative to support low and middle-income countries obtain United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6. The goal will ensure available and sustainable management of water.
About Jacobs
We’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector.
