Purifics Awarded Contract for 2 MGD PFAS Drinking Water Purification Plant in Clifton, Tennessee
Integrated CUF® purification system will deliver complete surface water purification, PFAS removal, and zero-liquid-discharge operation.
Municipal utilities across North America are increasingly facing the challenge of removing PFAS and other emerging contaminants from drinking water sources. Technologies capable of addressing multiple contaminants while maintaining operational efficiency and sustainability are becoming essential.
CLIFTON, TENNESSEE | MARCH 2026 - Purifics Water Inc. has been awarded the contract to supply a 2 MGD (8 MLD) drinking water purification plant for the City of Clifton, Tennessee, marking the company’s first full-scale municipal installation addressing PFAS contamination.
The project, awarded through the City’s contractor following successful pilot testing, will deploy Purifics’ Continuous Ultra Filtration (CUF®) technology to treat surface water drawn from the Tennessee River. The system is scheduled for delivery in Q1 2027 and will provide integrated drinking water purification addressing PFAS and other surface water contaminants.
Purifics is proudly represented in the region by BAR Environmental, whose collaboration and local support were instrumental in advancing the project and supporting the City of Clifton throughout the evaluation and pilot testing process.
Advanced PFAS Drinking Water Purification for Municipal Utilities
The project represents an important milestone in the deployment of advanced purification systems capable of addressing multiple contaminants in a single integrated unit operation, while maintaining operational simplicity and high-water recovery.
Communities across the United States are increasingly challenged to treat surface water sources impacted by PFAS, reactive organic compounds, and other emerging contaminants while maintaining regulatory compliance and controlling operational costs.
To address these challenges, the City of Clifton selected Purifics’ Cuf ® system, an advanced continuous ultra-filtration technology that enables integrated treatment within a single automated platform.
Key Benefits of the CUF® PFAS Drinking Water Purification System
The system will provide the utility with several key operational benefits, including:
Complete surface water purification with reliable, automated operation
Verified removal of both short- and long-chain PFAS compounds
Reduction of reactive dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to enable the use of free chlorine for disinfection
Production of stable, compressed residuals for simple and cost-effective disposal
Zero liquid discharge operation with full water recovery
Proven PFAS Removal Performance
Following pilot testing, the CUF® system demonstrated its ability to reliably process and retain Colloidal Activated Carbon (CAC) while achieving effective PFAS removal even in water containing elevated Total Organic Carbon (TOC) levels.
The system reduced detected PFAS compounds to below the 2 ppt detection limit, while simultaneously removing background organic matter present in the Tennessee River source water.
This performance was achieved within a four-minute treatment process, highlighting the system’s efficiency and suitability for full-scale municipal deployment.
The integrated purification system also incorporates Purifics’ Solids Recovery Unit (SRU), enabling full water recovery while eliminating liquid waste streams through a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) design.
Supporting Utilities Facing Emerging Water Quality Challenges
“Municipal utilities are increasingly seeking treatment solutions that can address PFAS and other emerging contaminants without adding unnecessary complexity to their treatment trains,” said Brian Butters, P.Eng., MBA, President of Purifics Water Inc.
“This project demonstrates how integrated treatment technologies can deliver reliable PFAS removal while maintaining operational simplicity, high water recovery, and long-term sustainability for drinking water utilities.”
PFAS contamination has become one of the most pressing water quality challenges across North America. As regulatory standards continue to tighten, utilities are seeking treatment systems capable of addressing multiple contaminants simultaneously while maintaining operational efficiency and sustainability.
Purifics’ Cuf ® purification technology is designed to meet these evolving requirements by enabling high-flux ceramic membrane filtration combined with advanced contaminant removal mechanisms within a compact and automated purification system.
Learn More About PFAS Water Purification Solutions
As part of its ongoing commitment to industry education and collaboration, Purifics will host a public webinar series in Summer 2026 focused on PFAS treatment and multi-contaminant removal technologies. The sessions will provide technical insights for municipal utilities, consulting engineers, and regulators addressing emerging water quality challenges.
For more information about Purifics technologies and upcoming webinars, visit: