Chambers Development of North Carolina, Inc., a Waste Connections company, plans to develop a regional PFAS treatment system at its Anson Landfill in North Carolina, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to responsible landfill management and proactive environmental protection. Once operational, the system will treat landfill leachate on-site, reducing PFAS levels in leachate from entering downstream wastewater treatment facilities and supporting long-term PFAS management across the state.
Landfill leachate – the liquid resulting from precipitation and as waste breaks down in a landfill – can contain PFAS, a class of persistent chemicals that wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove. Anson Landfill is a passive receiver of PFAS, which enters the waste stream through everyday consumer products such as packaging, textiles, cosmetics, cookware, and cleaning agents. While Anson Landfill does not manufacture or use PFAS, it has chosen to take this important step as an environmental leader in the community and the industry. As PFAS regulations continue to take shape across the U.S., Waste Connections, through its operating subsidiaries like Anson Landfill, is addressing the problem by implementing treatment directly at the landfill.
“Waste Connections does not generate or use PFAS, but we are in a position to help reduce its impact on our communities,” said Tyler Fitzgerald, District Manager at Anson Landfill. “Installing treatment at our site gives us local control over how PFAS is handled, reduces the burden on downstream infrastructure and aligns our operations with evolving regulations.”
To support this effort, Waste Connections has partnered with The Water & Carbon Group to deploy the LEEF System®, a full-scale PFAS treatment technology designed specifically for the unique operating conditions at landfills. The Anson Landfill installation will treat all leachate generated at the facility, up to 50,000 gallons per day, while supporting regional treatment capacity over time. The system is expected to come online by the end of 2026.
The LEEF System® removes PFAS using foam fractionation, a process in which fine air bubbles separate and concentrate PFAS compounds from wastewater. It is a chemical-free, low-energy treatment approach that targets both long-chain and short-chain PFAS compounds and has demonstrated reliable removal performance across changing site conditions, including variations in flow, temperature, and landfill composition.
The Anson Landfill project builds on Waste Connections’ experience with proven PFAS treatment solutions. For more than two years, their full-scale LEEF System has been operating at Bethlehem Landfill in Pennsylvania, delivering consistent PFAS removal across seasonal temperature changes and variable flow conditions. That operating experience informed the design of the system at Anson Landfill, which will provide reliable, scalable PFAS treatment capacity to meet future regional needs and support PFAS-impacted leachate in Anson, North Carolina.
“This project reflects where the industry is heading, toward increased on-site processing of leachate, including PFAS treatment,” said Nick Ganzon, President at The Water & Carbon Group. “Waste Connections is taking a leadership role by investing early in long-term infrastructure that addresses PFAS today while preparing for what’s ahead.”