Harris County accepts $627,000 emerging‑contaminants grant to pilot PFAS removal technologies

Harris County voted on June 16 to accept a $627,000 grant awarded in March through a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund emerging‑contaminants program to support a pilot study testing PFAS removal technologies at the county’s water system.

County staff reported the system participated in the EPA’s unregulated contaminant monitoring rule and detected PFAS at concentrations above regulatory guidance. County consultants and staff — including the engineering firm Carter & Sloop — recommended a pilot program to evaluate removal technologies and determine the proper treatment approach for the county’s plant.

Board members stressed the project’s likely scale and cost. Commissioners and staff said additional funding sources are being pursued; staff reported applying for roughly $3 million more and estimated total funding needs could well exceed the initial grant award. Procurement steps were described: the county issued an RFQ and planned to score engineering firms the week following the meeting to select a lead engineer for the project.

The board moved, seconded and approved accepting the $627,000 grant and authorized the chair, county manager and county clerk to execute related documents. No schedule for full construction or final cost estimates was presented; commissioners said additional state and federal funding will be necessary to meet EPA deadlines for monitoring (April 2027) and maximum contaminant level compliance (April 2029).

What happens next: staff will continue RFQ scoring and pursue additional grants and procurement to identify the treatment system that can bring the county’s drinking water into compliance with EPA requirements.