Between 2023 and 2025, Acqua Novara VCO carried out more than 4,000 tests on drinking water, wastewater and industrial discharges across its service area, which serves a population equivalent of over 516,000 people. The monitoring programme covered around 150 production facilities.
One of the most notable findings was the presence of PFAS on 49% of the industrial discharges analysed. In several cases, the substances were detected in production processes where PFAS were not formally listed among the inputs, making it more difficult to trade their sources.
To respond to these findings, Acqua Novara VCO assessed the treatment technologies available on the market and selected SAFF40 (Surface Action Foam Fractionation), developed by Australian company EPOC and distributed in Italy by Erica. The technology uses micro-bubbles of air to bring PFAS to the surface, where they are trapped in a foam layer that is then collected and concentrated.
The experimentation is taking place at Acque Novara VCO's treatment plants. Following a first phase of testing at the Briga Novarese plant, completed in July, the testing is now continuing at the Novara plant. The latter represents the first industrial-scale experimentation of the technology in Italy, with removal rates expected to exceed 99%.
The work also contributed to a broader effort to better understand the sources and pathways of PFAS contamination. Alongside reducing concentrations, Acqua Novara VCO is working with companies to map contamination flows, including cases where PFAS are present despite not being formally used in the production process.
The initiative is being developed within Piedmont's regulatory approach to PFAS. This region was the first in Italy to establish specific limits for PFAS in surface water discharges, providing a framework for the monitoring and treatment activities being developed by water operators in the area.
To learn more about Acqua Novara VCO's activities on PFAS and the ongoing SAFF® experimentation, visit the Acqua Novara VCO website.
