ECUA deploys $1.4M for GAC vessels as PFAS settlement fund nears $30M

ECUA deploys $1.4M for GAC vessels as PFAS settlement fund nears $30MThe Florida utility is tapping into its 3M settlement payouts to aggressively equip its well sites with Granular Activated Carbon treatment, aiming to beat the EPA's compliance deadlines.

ECUA has received nearly $30 million in settlement funds from 3M to date, maintaining a $28.19 million cash balance to fund ongoing PFAS mitigation.

The Board approved a $1.41 million contract with Calgon Carbon Corporation to supply 13 GAC vessels for the Tennant, Sweeney, McCrory, and Carriage Hills wells.

With 16 wells already utilizing GAC treatment, the utility is racing to upgrade seven to eight remaining sites before the first quarter of 2028.

Staff are evaluating alternative treatment technologies, including resins, at the Tennant well to potentially reduce long-term media disposal costs.

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) in Pensacola, Florida, is aggressively tapping into its multi-million-dollar PFAS settlement fund to equip its well sites with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment ahead of strict federal compliance deadlines. During the July 28, 2026, board meeting, the ECUA Board approved a $1.41 million contract with Calgon Carbon Corporation for the acquisition of 13 GAC vessels. The vessels will be deployed across four sites: three at the Tennant well, four at the Sweeney well, four at the McCrory well, and two at the Carriage Hills well. Calgon Carbon was selected as the lowest responsive bidder following a competitive solicitation. The procurement is being entirely funded by proceeds from a major litigation settlement with PFAS manufacturer 3M. According to Director of Finance Justin Smith, the utility's PFAS settlement fund held a cash balance of $28.19 million as of June 30, 2026. ECUA received nearly $8.7 million in settlement payments during the most recent calendar quarter alone, bringing total receipts for the fiscal year to $11.67 million. "We have received a majority of the funds that we're going to receive from 3M, but we do still have these annual payments left through 2033," Smith told the board, noting that the utility expects to receive an additional $5.2 million in trickling annual payouts. While awaiting equipment deliveries, ECUA has invested the settlement cash in a local government investment pool, earning a 3.7% return that generated over $580,000 in interest this fiscal year to help offset massive capital requirements. The rapid deployment of GAC vessels is driven by looming regulatory deadlines. Director of Water Production Thomas Dawson clarified that while the EPA's nominal compliance deadline is in 2029, the utility must have treatment operational much earlier. "As of April of 2028, this treatment needs to be in all the wells where the PFAS numbers are above the MCL," Dawson explained. "In reality, what they do when we do our quarterly monitoring and then a yearly average, they're going to go back three quarters into '28 and take your numbers. You can't wait till 2029. You have to be ready at the end of the first quarter in 2028, and that's what we're doing." ECUA currently has 16 wells operating with GAC treatment, though three of those were originally equipped to treat iron and will require additional vessels specifically for PFAS. Dawson estimated that the utility still needs to install PFAS treatment at seven or eight additional wells to achieve full system compliance. With the sheer volume of treatment media required across its 32-well system, ECUA is actively searching for ways to mitigate the long-term operational costs of media disposal and replacement. Dawson noted that the utility will soon begin evaluating new technologies, including testing ion exchange resins at the Tennant well, to determine if advancements in resin technology can offer a more economical lifecycle cost than traditional GAC.