Atlas’ Mike Filmyer reflects on his 40‑year engineering journey in water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Mike highlights some of the memorable projects he has been involved in and offers advice to up and coming engineers who are interested in making a difference to protect public health, preserve natural resources and help communities flourish and thrive.

For more than four decades, I have had the privilege of contributing to the design, management and improvement of water, wastewater and stormwater systems that millions of people rely on every day.

These essential yet often unseen systems form the backbone of healthy, sustainable and resilient communities. My journey in engineering has been shaped by a deep belief that infrastructure is more than pipes, pumps, tanks and treatment processes — it is about protecting public health, preserving natural resources and ensuring that communities can thrive.

A Dual Foundation in Biology and Engineering

My path into engineering began with a strong grounding in biology from St. Joseph’s University, followed by a second degree in Environmental Engineering Technology from Temple University.

The combination of biological insight and engineering rigor helped me understand not only how infrastructure works, but why it matters — especially when dealing with water quality, ecological health and regulatory compliance. Early in my career, this interdisciplinary knowledge proved invaluable as I began working in Baltimore before returning to my hometown of Glenside, Pennsylvania, where my roots and career both continued to grow.

Engineering in Service of Communities

Across my career, I’ve worked on hundreds of projects spanning water treatment plants, wastewater facilities, stormwater systems, pump stations, force mains, storage tanks and complex regulatory programs.

Each project brought its own unique challenges, but the most rewarding aspect has always been the impact on the communities we serve. Some of the highlights that continue to make me proud include:��

• An Anaerobic Digestion & Cogeneration Facility, where waste biogas was transformed into renewable energy for the community.
• An 18-inch force main installed via Horizontal Directional Drilling under the Lehigh River, a technically complex project that protected both infrastructure and the river ecosystem.
• A 3.4-million-gallon underground Combined Sewer Overflow storage facility, which eliminated millions of gallons of polluted discharges into local waterways. This tank was placed under a local university’s tennis courts, which were replaced as part of the project.

These projects, and many others like them, illustrate the critical role engineers play in public safety and environmental stewardship.

Technology as a Transformational Force

Over the past 40 years, technology has continually reshaped how we design and operate infrastructure. I’ve seen firsthand how advanced SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, new materials, better treatment technologies and improved hydraulic modeling have expanded what’s possible. My work on SCADA upgrades for regional authorities brought real‑time system visibility and operational reliability to facilities that previously operated with limited monitoring.

Technology has enabled us to make systems smarter, safer and more sustainable, and it will continue to drive the future of engineering.

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility

Sustainability has been a thread running through my entire career, long before it was a buzzword. Whether designing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce pollutant loads, preparing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewals or implementing stormwater reduction plans, I have seen how thoughtful engineering can dramatically improve environmental outcomes.

Projects such as stormwater BMPs, streambank restoration efforts or regenerative stormwater conveyance systems illustrate how engineered solutions can harmonize with natural systems.

Our responsibility as engineers is not only to solve today’s problems, but to protect ecosystems for generations to come.

Advice to the Next Generation of Engineers

One unique aspect of my career is the long-standing relationships I’ve built with my colleagues, many of whom I’ve worked with for decades. That continuity of people, knowledge and a shared mission has allowed us to take on increasingly complex challenges with confidence and collaboration.

To those entering the profession, or early in your careers, I offer a few guiding principles:

• Stay curious. Engineering changes constantly; lifelong learning is essential.
• Remember who you serve. Infrastructure exists for people and the environment, so keep communities at the center of every design.
• Embrace the details. In our field, precision saves money, prevents risk and protects lives.
• Seek mentors and be a mentor. Much of what I know came from generous colleagues who shared their expertise.
• Stand proudly in the impact you make. Engineers often work behind the scenes, but our work shapes the world.

A Career Built on Purpose

From wastewater treatment plants to pump stations, SCADA systems to stormwater BMPs, my career has been shaped by the belief that engineering is a public trust. Every design, every calculation and every decision carries with it the responsibility to safeguard communities and the environment.

As I reflect on more than 40 years in this profession, I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve worked with and the communities our work has contributed to. And as new generations begin to lead, I am confident the future of engineering will continue to bring innovative, resilient and sustainable solutions to the challenges ahead.

The proposal would establish maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS, and a hazard index approach for four other PFAS compounds.

On March 14, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a federal action to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, the first in over a decade. If approved, these new National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) will add six contaminants to the list of over 90 existing chemical compounds that are federally regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

PFAS compounds were once widely used as water repellants, non-stick surface treatments, and firefighting foams. This EPA ruling would regulate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which according to Science Reporter, Bella Isaacs-Thomas, are “two well-studied legacy chemicals that have largely been phased out of use in the United States but linger in the environment and are��still used in manufacturing abroad.”

These regulations aim to cap PFOA and PFOS contamination at four parts per trillion (ppt), the lowest level at which they can be reliably measured. It’s worth noting that meeting this standard wasn’t possible in 2016, when the health advisory level was 70 ppt. However, as laboratory technology continues to evolve, water practitioners can detect, measure, and remove contaminants from drinking water better than ever.

The other four PFAS — perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX Chemicals) — would be regulated as a mixture, by testing for each one individually and assessing their risk in combination with one another.

Federal estimates place the number of public drinking water systems requiring treatment upgrades to meet new PFAS maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) between 3,300 and 6,600. That’s nearly 5-10% of the estimated 66,000 public drinking water systems that will need to treat their water to remove PFAS compounds to comply with new SDWA regulations for the six PFAS chemicals.

The EPA anticipates plans to be finalized by the end of 2023, but agencies will have additional time to adjust to these stringent changes. Officials will go through the usual proposal approval process, opening a public comment window after regulations are published to the Federal Register. Regulations won’t take full effect until year three.

As for public water systems in communities with limited resources, the EPA’s increasing involvement in PFAS regulation begs the question, how will they manage compliance costs?

Federal aid funding programs will help small and disadvantage communities redress contaminated drinking water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $9 billion towards underserved regions impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants. The EPA will direct that money toward water utilities and communities that are on the front lines and are resource-constrained the most.

And as the current administration advocates for EPA’s new budget this year, more resources will be required to combat this pervasive issue.

Local agencies can also access an approximate $12 billion in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF), dedicated to making drinking water safer, and billions more that the federal government has annually provided to fund DWSRF loans — all of which can help communities make important investments in solutions to remove PFAS from drinking water.

Treating the Cause, Not the Effect

The best available technologies to treat for PFAS are Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), Anion Exchange (AIX), Reverse Osmosis (RO), and Nano-filtration (NF). While all of these technologies have shown to be effective in achieving 99% removal and to specifically meet the four ppt proposed MCLs, they are removal technologies that result in contaminant transfer from one media to another rather than complete destruction.

This can be problematic as the EPA has also proposed regulating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, which may ultimately affect the disposal costs associated with treatment residuals (i.e., spent carbon media, and concentrated waste streams). EPA estimates that disposing of spent treatment media would cost an additional 3-6%.

The EPA provided a cost-benefit evaluation, comparing the cost of treating the health effects associated with PFAS consumption in drinking water versus the treatment costs, and found that the costs were roughly the same, approximately $1 billion annually. Note that the treatment cost does not consider potential treatment residuals disposal cost increases associated with a change from non-hazardous to hazardous waste.

Although the cost of treating the PFAS in drinking water before it causes health effects is roughly comparable to the costs of treating the health effects themselves, EPA’s proposed regulation is effectively seeking to treat the cause rather than the effect to improve the overall health of the U.S. population served by public water systems.

Key Takeaways

1. The proposal sets numerical standards of four ppt for PFOA and PFOS, a hazard index of one for four GenX Chemicals, and non-enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for all six PFAS.

*above table from

2. The new PFAS regulations will require additional testing at about 66,000 public water systems, and 5-10% of these systems are expected to require additional treatment to remove PFAS.

3. The Hazard Index considers the different toxicities of GenX Chemicals, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS. Water systems would use a hazard index calculation to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS in the drinking water at that system pose a potential risk.

*above table from

4. The MCLs were set at the levels that can “reliably be measured,” but the MCLG is zero, leaving potential for them to get even lower as analytical precision improves.

Authors:

Dawn E. Bockoras | National Director – Environmental Investigation & Remediation | ����ӰԺ

Rik Lantz, P.G., LEED-AP | Senior Consultant, Federal Programs | ����ӰԺ

As a leading environmental firm, Atlas is committed to supporting our clients’ needs with sustainable PFAS solutions that are consistent with evolving regulatory changes and how those changes may affect their risk-based decisions.

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals that contain linked chains of carbon and fluorine. Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” the bond between carbon and fluorine atoms is one of the strongest in nature – making PFAS chemicals difficult to remediate and remove.

PFAS chemicals have been used in various industrial and commercial applications and consumer products since the 1940s, including non-stick cookware, waterproofing materials, and firefighting foam. While their unique stability and resistance to degradation ensure durable, long lasting consumer products, their pervasive nature also leads to significant environmental challenges. Because the chemicals have been used in products for decades, most people have been exposed to them through the food we eat, or from contaminated drinking water and can cause potential adverse health effects.

The ability of PFAS to bio-accumulate in the environment, coupled with its high mobility, have led to persistent contamination concerns. The introduction of PFAS into wastewater and solid waste has led to further distribution of PFAS into rivers and streams, surface water, and sludge applied to land.

While most advanced laboratories can identify up to 70 PFAS chemicals, thousands of PFAS chemicals are known to exist.�� The PFAS class of chemicals continues to expand as manufacturers and laboratories identify and create replacement PFAS chemicals.

The absence of a comprehensive federal policy regarding PFAS chemicals creates challenges for many environmental lifecycle stages, including property transactions, investigation, treatment, waste handling and disposal, and litigation.

Although the use of certain PFAS chemicals has been discontinued, legacy uses, unregulated imported products, and a lack of commercially viable alternatives to certain public safety products (e.g., firefighting foams) will continue to present ongoing environmental issues and human health concerns.

Scientific research into human and environmental health concerns is considered a critical first step toward regulating PFAS chemicals.�� This research can take years to complete and continues to lag behind the manufacturing and industrial waste that comes from their use. As a result, regulation has either been delayed, as is the case at the federal level, or has been pursued with intentional conservatism, which is the case in some states.

The EPA recently announced plans for new wastewater regulations, including first limits for PFAS, and updated limits for nutrients – from key industries. The new , identifies opportunities to better protect public health and the environment through regulation of wastewater pollution.

For the last five years, our team of scientists and geologists at Atlas have specialized in providing site investigations and innovative treatment solutions for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Our services include:

• Public Supply and Private Drinking Water Sampling
• Groundwater, Surface Water, Soil, & Sediment Sampling
• Stormwater Treatment Design
• Design of Poet Systems – Private and Public Supply
• Landfill Monitoring Services
• Forensic Analysis
• Standard Operating Procedures & Best Practices

For more information on how Atlas addresses PFAS challenges, read more >>