The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M) recently awarded Prein&Newhof the Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award for its work on Plainfield Charter Township’s Water Treatment Pilot Study for PFAS Removal project. This prestigious award recognizes projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, and value.
ACEC/M also awarded Prein&Newhof with the People’s Choice Award. Attendees at the association’s annual Awards Gala selected the ‘Water Treatment Pilot Study for PFAS Removal’ as their favorite project out of the 27 that were submitted from across the State of Michigan in 2019.
Plainfield Charter Township worked with Prein&Newhof to perform a pilot study at its water treatment plant, modifying the existing rapid sand filter beds with granular activated carbon (GAC) to effectively remove per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) from the water. “Having our GAC pilot study recognized by engineering firms statewide is a tribute to all the hard work put in by Prein&Newhof as well as our water treatment plant staff,” says Plainfield Township Director of Public Services Rick Solle, “Utilizing GAC treatment in the way we did, specifically for PFAS removal, was the first-of-its-kind usage in the state. We are thankful for the collaboration we had with the State of Michigan to make it happen.”
GAC was first installed in the Plainfield Township Water Treatment Plant filter beds in 2018 to address the community’s desire to remove PFAS from its municipal water supply. Knowing that PFAS was a growing challenge throughout the state, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) gave Plainfield Charter Township $750,000 to conduct the pilot study. The first year of testing demonstrated that the modified filters successfully removed PFAS while also meeting all other water treatment requirements. Plainfield Charter Township is continuing to convert more of its filters to GAC, with the plant’s final two filters planned for 2021.
Prein&Newhof Project Manager Kevin Gritters, PE says,
“What we’ve demonstrated and learned with this project will be very beneficial for the public health of communities across our state who are dealing with similar contamination challenges. We are honored to have received these awards and we are grateful to have worked together with Plainfield Charter Township to accomplish this significant achievement.”
Both awards were presented to Prein&Newhof and Plainfield Charter Township at the ACEC/M Engineering & Survey Excellence Awards Gala on March 7, 2020 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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In featured picture from left to right: Prein&Newhof Vice President Mark Prein, Plainfield Township Superintendent Cameron Van Wyngarden, Plainfield Township Water Treatment Superintendent Don Petrovich, Prein&Newhof Project Manager Kevin Gritters, and Plainfield Township Director of Public Services Rick Solle.