The University of Rhode Island (URI) owns and operates a public water system (PWS) that serves approximately 17,000 students on its Kingston Campus. The State of Rhode Island’s Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water, Groundwater, and Surface Waters Act required monitoring for all public water services to begin on or before July 1, 2023, with an interim Maximum Contaminant Level of 20 parts per trillion (ppt). URI sampled the water supply in June and July 2023, finding PFAS concentrations of 29 ppt. URI sought to address the detectable levels of PFAS quickly to reduce exposure to students and the community.
URI sought and received approval to expedite a qualifications-based selection process, hiring Woodard & Curran under a design-build contract with construction partner Hart Companies. The contract to design, permit, construct, startup, and commission an interim PFAS treatment system was signed in December 2023, and within nine months the design-build team delivered the project that has successfully reduced PFAS to non-detectable levels and laid the foundational work for a permanent treatment solution.
After an initial evaluation of options including bottled water distribution, blending sources, a new water source, and point of use filtration, the university opted for a centralized treatment solution utilizing granular activated carbon (GAC). Woodard & Curran led the pilot testing of GAC, as well as greensand to address elevated iron and manganese levels. Further analysis was done through rapid small scale column testing (RSSCT) to assess GAC media life, anticipated replacement frequency, and the associated cost. This provided the basis for designing an interim system to remove PFAS and the permanent treatment system that will utilize a combination of GAC and greensand.
As the project moved forward, Woodard & Curran worked with the client and all key stakeholders to ensure transparency, which included access to submittals, permit approvals, plans, specs, and other project records through an on-line document management system. The success of the design-build team was in large part due to these open lines of communication and weekly schedule and project update meetings between the owner, owner’s project manager, engineers, contractors, and various vendors.
The contract was executed with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). However, as work progressed, it became apparent to the project team that expanding the scope would lay the foundation for success in the next phase of the project aimed at creating a permanent, long-term treatment solution. There was a long lead time for procuring the GAC pressure vessels, which is expected to become longer as more water suppliers are required to address PFAS in drinking water under the EPA’s National Drinking Water Standards. In partnership with URI, the decision was made to procure two additional GAC vessels under this contract to eliminate the impact of extended lead times on future phases of work. The interim system design included piping that will easily incorporate the additional treatment vessels.
Additionally, the team expanded its scope to include design, permitting, and site work for both the interim and permanent facilities. This included stormwater controls for the permanent system. While it was an additional, agreed-to expense beyond the GMP, incorporating this work into the interim facility phase will prove to be an overall cost savings for URI and will significantly streamline permitting efforts for the permanent facility.