Fiskville – PFAS Water Treatment Plant

The remediation of the former Country Fire Authority (CFA) Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre at Fiskville was one of Australia’s most significant PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) remediation projects at the time.

Historical fire-fighting training activities at the 150-hectare site involved the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), now known to be a primary source of PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater at similar sites across the world. 

In partnership with Ventia, SciDev designed, constructed, commissioned, and operated an innovative water treatment plant (WTP) that received Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval to discharge treated water continuously back to the environment.

Approval for continuous discharge of treated water was contingent on strict ongoing sampling frequency and a comprehensive proof of performance period being completed prior to receiving discharge approval.

During the commissioning phase, Fiskville experienced long periods of heavy rain. As a result, on-site water storage was close to maximum capacity and risked uncontrolled discharge into the adjacent creek. The WTP was run at or above its nameplate capacity for approximately one month to reduce the risk of uncontrolled discharge. The highest volume treated in a day was 684m³, representing a 37% increase in the system design flow rate. Contaminated surface water and ground water also required management over the course of the remediation.

Since the project involved treating highly contaminated and variable water to meet strict discharge standards, the Victorian EPA needed to be fully confident in the treatment method and technology before allowing continuous discharge into the environment. To achieve this, SciDev utilised its innovative FluorofIX™ ion exchange technology to effectively and efficiently remove all PFAS and oxidisable precursors from the ground and surface water at the CFA Fiskville site.

SciDev’s past performance using FluorofIX™ to treat a wide range of contaminated waste streams to the lowest possible Limits of Reporting (LOR) for PFAS provided the Victorian EPA with the confidence they required and SciDev was able to provide treatment performance guarantees for PFAS removal for the duration of the project.  

The water treatment plant was originally planned to treat an estimated total volume of between 8ML-28ML of contaminated water. By the end of the project, the WTP had successfully treated over 80ML in full compliance with the project-specific Victorian EPA licence. This additional volume was successfully processed without the need for anion ion exchange resin replacement or regeneration, demonstrating the PFAS holding capacity of FluorofIX™ and saving the project significant cost and time. 

• 80ML of contaminated water successfully treated.
• Full compliance with the project’s Victorian EPA licence and discharge criteria.
• The highest volume treated in a day was 684m³, a 37% increase in plant nameplate capacity with no plant upgrade required.
• Maximum influent PFAS concentration of >500ug/L Sum of PFAS.
• Byproduct waste requiring thermal incineration ≤0.0054% of the total volume treated.
• First project in Victoria to receive EPA approval to continuously discharge to the environment.