Veolia’s bold plan to move Australia Beyond PFAS

Veolia offers a full range of technologies proven to meet strict US PFAS guidelines, which are now ready to be deployed in Australia. Advanced technologies to remove PFAS from soil, protect air, and purify water meeting Australia’s stringent Drinking Water Guidelines are available now.

An end-to-end PFAS remediation service, from testing to technology is the latest Green Up investment focused in the Pacific. Australia is a Green Up booster zone due to the significant opportunity coming from Australia’s ambition to lead the world on Environmental issues, and in this case to fight against historical PFAS contamination around the country.

Sydney, Australia: PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have earned the ominous nickname ‘forever chemicals’ due to their resistance to breaking down in the environment. To mark World Environment Day, Veolia has today launched its new end-to-end BeyondPFAS offering in Australia, which can detect, treat, and safely remove PFAS from sensitive ecological settings. 

Found in everything from non-stick cookware to firefighting foam, certain PFAS chemicals have become a major environmental and health concern across the globe, particularly at locations such as airports, military bases, and industrial facilities.

The BeyondPFAS range of scientifically proven technologies and methods detect PFAS contamination, treat affected soil and water, and manage disposal of the contaminated materials by thermal treatment, physical-chemical removal or in special landfill depositories. In short, the program delivers end-to-end PFAS treatment and management solutions for a safer, cleaner future.

Veolia's track record in PFAS management and disposal is already striking. In Australia alone, the company has treated 75 million litres of PFAS-contaminated water and managed 200,000 tonnes of contaminated soil. In 2018, Veolia’s Brooklyn facility in Victoria made history as the first to receive Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licensing for treating PFAS-impacted wastewater. 

Veolia ANZ CEO Richard Kirkman said 

“This is just the beginning. BeyondPFAS will extend Veolia's approach to PFAS, which now includes everything from initial testing to final disposal, offering more proven end-to-end solutions for affected sites across the country.

“Veolia has considerable global experience treating PFAS and we have already demonstrated that our proven end-to-end technologies can meet the stricter PFAS regulations in the United States. We have the technological solutions to take on the Australian challenge.”  

Facilities like Veolia’s thermal desorption plant, EarthSure, a joint venture with Ventia in Victoria, can treat PFAS contaminated soil and render it reusable. Veolia also has portable technology that sees 70% of PFAS contaminated water treated where the contamination occurs rather than being sent offsite for treatment. 

When it comes to dealing with PFAS in water it is no surprise that Veolia, which was founded in 1853 when a water contract was awarded by Napoleon III, has all the credentials. Worldwide, the company has treated over 91 billion litres of PFAS-contaminated water.

In Australia, Veolia is an industry leader that has provided water treatment plants on 16 PFAS contaminated sites across the country, purifying it to a level where the water could be released back into the environment. Veolia has even treated fire training water to the point where it meets Australian Drinking Water Guideline Standards. 

“We can get the job done and move beyond the PFAS era in Australia. Veolia is a company founded on the idea of ecological transformation, which aims to depollute, decarbonise and regenerate the world ― and Veolia has always had the technology to meet that mission,” Kirkman said. 

“The rise of PFAS is a challenge Veolia, both philosophically and practically, was built to overcome. Our ambition, as this campaign says, is to take on that challenge, move Australia beyond PFAS and give businesses and our community the peace of mind they deserve.”

Disclaimer: The information contained in this statement is based on the Veolia group's understanding and know-how of the scientific, regulatory and technical fields discussed herein as of the time of publication. No contractual undertaking or offer is made on the basis hereof and no representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability for the purpose of the relevant information. Descriptions contained herein apply exclusively to those examples and/or to the general situations specifically referenced, and in no event should they be considered to apply to specific scenarios without prior review and validation. Statements that may be interpreted as predictive of future outcomes or performance should not be considered guarantees of such, but rather reasoned assessments of the possible evolution of the technologies described. No contractual undertaking or offer is made on the basis of this statement, any contractual commitment or relationship being subject to the conclusion of separately documented written agreement(s) between Veolia and its co-contractant(s).