The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an agency-wide strategy to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies to treat and destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water and the environment.

Announced Oct. 27 in Commerce City, Colorado, the PFAS Technology, Evaluation, Coordination and Harmonization (PFAS TECH) strategy focuses on research and development, real-world technology demonstrations and technical assistance for communities addressing PFAS contamination.

EPA plans to support emerging treatment approaches, including foam fractionation and supercritical water oxidation, through research funding, partnerships and pilot-scale projects. Demonstrations are planned at Superfund sites, military facilities, wastewater treatment plants and drinking water systems to evaluate technology performance under real-world conditions and assess scalability.

The agency also plans to provide guidance and funding resources through initiatives including its Break the Bond Navigator. Research grants will be available through programs such as Science to Achieve Results and Small Business Innovation Research, with an emphasis on PFAS destruction technologies.

EPA’s Office of Water is pursuing public-private partnerships to advance water treatment technologies and reduce treatment costs, according to the announcement. The agency also cited ongoing pilot projects evaluating foam fractionation for PFAS removal from groundwater and sampling methods intended to reduce monitoring costs.

The strategy aims to help communities identify practical, scalable options for addressing PFAS contamination by coordinating research, technology testing and technical assistance across federal, state and local governments, industry and research institutions.