The City of Vancouver, Washington, has chosen global design and engineering firm Stantec to lead the development of a major water treatment system aimed at removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The system will be installed at one of the city’s high-capacity water stations and is part of Vancouver’s efforts to enhance drinking water quality and reliability.
The facility, located at Water Station 4, will be among the first in the city’s network to treat PFAS. Once operational, it will be capable of processing up to 12.2 million gallons of water daily—making it the largest PFAS treatment system in the Northwestern United States by volume.
This project follows new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, introduced in 2024, which mandate that all public water systems must reduce PFAS levels by 2029. Reporting requirements will begin in 2027. Nationwide, municipalities are responding by investing in new technologies, with total costs expected to reach $40 billion.
Stantec’s plan ensures the treatment system integrates seamlessly into the existing Water Station 4 infrastructure. Importantly, the facility will remain fully operational during construction. Work is scheduled to begin in October 2025, with completion expected by early 2028—well ahead of federal deadlines.
“Across the country, utilities are taking critical steps to remove PFAS from water supplies,” said Matt Travers, Stantec executive vice president for water services. “We’re proud to help the City of Vancouver meet these challenges with a reliable, future-ready solution.”
Vancouver’s water system serves more than 270,000 people and delivers over 10 billion gallons of clean water annually across a 72-square-mile area. The city began PFAS testing in 2023 and quickly identified the need for infrastructure upgrades.
Stantec is also supporting other utilities nationwide in designing PFAS treatment systems that comply with evolving federal and state standards.