CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS (IOWA) WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY



EMERGING CONTAMINANTS PROJECT

Clean Water



State Revolving Fund



The City of Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) provides
wastewater treatment for 180,000 residents plus industrial and commercial customers.

A multiple hearth incinerator at the WPCF treats solids from the primary and biological
treatment processes. The City is currently studying the fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) in solids after incineration, specifically how effective the multiple
hearth incinerator is at degrading and destroying PFAS compounds within the solids. Th>

City also recognizes that PFAS may need to be treated in the liquid streams. To proceed with planning, the City
needs to better assess the presence and fate of PFAS at the WPCF as well as treatment options. The City and its
partners propose:

•	Conducting baseline PFAS monitoring of liquid and solid streams entering and leaving the WPCF along
with monitoring of waste streams generated at interim treatment processes. The City also proposes
sampling of the collection system upstream of the WPCF to determine PFAS contributions from various
users. Though this latter sampling is not eligible for CWSRF emerging contaminants funding, it will help
the City identify source reduction options.

•	Evaluating commercially available treatment technologies for treatment of PFAS in liquid and solid
streams based on monitoring results.

•	Performing bench and/or pilot scale testing of the most viable treatment options onsite at the WPCF.

•	Developing a final engineering report based on findings from pilot scale testing including recommended
treatment loading and sizing criteria, a projected site plan and an estimated budget.

CWSRF emerging contaminants funds are being sought to support the above activities.

Eligibilities:

Per Section 603(c)(1) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the construction of a capital project at a publicly owned
treatment works is eligible. The proposed project includes monitoring and testing activities that are working
towards the construction of a new treatment process at the WPCF.

To be eligible for the CWSRF emerging contaminants funds:

1.	The presence of an emerging contaminant(s) needs to be confirmed. The Cedar Rapids WPCF is already
involved in a study and has established the presence of PFAS in biosolids at the WPCF.

2.	A capital project needs to be identified. The monitoring and technology assessment proposed in this plan
is to understand the occurrence and fate of PFAS at the WPCF to guide selection, design, and
construction of an appropriate PFAS treatment technology.

3.	Monitoring proposed as part of a project needs to be integral to capital project development. The
proposed emerging contaminants monitoring to understand the concentration and occurrence of the
emerging contaminants into and out of the WPCF is eligible. Proposed sampling upstream in the
collection system is not eligible for CWSRF emerging contaminants funds.

All of the above make the proposed project eligible for CWSRF emerging contaminants funds, excluding sampling
in the collection system.

Emerging
Contaminants:

PFAS

Project Type:

POTW

For more information on these topics, please visit our website.

CWSRF: https://www.e-pa-rgov/cwsrf | PFAS: https://www.epa.Rov/pfas

SEPA


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