IXOM Watercare has been selected to provide a two-million-gallon-per-day magnetic ion exchange system for Attleboro’s new Wading River Water Treatment Plant in Massachusetts.
The MIEX® system will remove dissolved organic carbon from the source water before it reaches a separate PFAS treatment stage. The pretreatment is intended to reduce competition between organic compounds and PFAS for available adsorption sites in the downstream treatment media.
MIEX system will provide PFAS pretreatment
MIEX® Magnetic Ion Exchange technology uses a magnetic resin to remove dissolved organic carbon and other negatively charged contaminants from water. IXOM says the technology operates as a fluidised-bed ion exchange process with automated resin regeneration.
In the Attleboro treatment train, MIEX will serve as a pretreatment process rather than the principal PFAS removal stage. Reducing dissolved organic carbon is expected to help preserve the capacity of the downstream PFAS media while also limiting the formation of disinfection by-products.
Russ Swerdfeger, Head of Marketing and Strategy at IXOM Watercare, said utilities investing in PFAS removal equipment also need to consider how naturally occurring organic material can affect treatment performance.
“As major investments are being made into PFAS solutions, many utilities are overlooking the impact that DOC can have on reducing PFAS treatment efficiency. The City of Attleboro is taking early action to ensure their PFAS treatment strategies will be as effective as possible to meet the entirety of current drinking water requirements.”
Combined treatment process at Wading River
The MIEX equipment will be installed at the Wading River Water Treatment Plant, which is being developed for the Attleboro Water Department. The permanent plant has been designed by engineering consultancy Tata & Howard.
The proposed treatment train will combine MIEX pretreatment with GreensandPlus pressure filtration and organo-clay PFAS removal media. City project information confirms that the plant has been designed to treat up to two million gallons per day.
Greensand filtration will address contaminants including iron and manganese, while the organo-clay media will provide the dedicated PFAS removal stage. IXOM expects its MIEX equipment to be operational at the new plant by summer 2028.
Ryan Neyland, Vice President at Tata & Howard, said seasonal changes in dissolved organic carbon create a water-quality challenge at the Wading River facility.
“Based on pilot study results, IXOM Watercare’s MIEX® system has proven to be effective at removing the organic contaminants that are not only precursors that cause high levels of DBP formation in the finished water, but also interfere or reduce the capacity of the PFAS removal solutions at the Wading River Water Treatment Plant.”
Attleboro responds to PFAS requirements
Attleboro has been developing temporary and permanent treatment measures after monitoring identified PFAS6 concentrations above the Massachusetts drinking-water standard at Wading River. The city reports that a temporary PFAS treatment facility has been in service since December 2025.
Massachusetts established an enforceable PFAS6 limit of 20 nanograms per litre in 2020. The limit applies to the combined concentration of six specified PFAS compounds and remains in effect.
At federal level, public water systems are due to begin including initial PFAS monitoring results in consumer confidence reports delivered after 26 April 2027. In May 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed retaining the limits for PFOA and PFOS while allowing eligible systems to request up to two additional years, until 2031, to comply.
The proposed federal extension has not yet established 2031 as a universal enforcement date. Attleboro must also continue meeting the existing Massachusetts PFAS6 requirements.
Organic carbon can reduce treatment-media capacity
Dissolved organic carbon consists of organic material found in source water. Its concentration can change with seasonal conditions, rainfall and changes within a catchment.
Organic compounds can occupy adsorption sites in treatment media that would otherwise be available to capture PFAS. They can also react with disinfectants during treatment and create regulated disinfection by-products.
Removing the organic material before the PFAS stage may therefore support longer media life and more consistent performance. The effectiveness of the complete system will depend on factors including source-water chemistry, operating conditions and the characteristics of the selected PFAS media.
The project forms part of wider investment by US water utilities in treatment for emerging contaminants. H2O Global News has also reported on a municipal reverse-osmosis system treating PFAS in Wisconsin and the planned SIX ion exchange installation in Tampa.
Frequently asked questions
What technology has Attleboro selected?
Attleboro Water Department has selected IXOM Watercare’s MIEX Magnetic Ion Exchange technology for the new Wading River Water Treatment Plant.
Will the MIEX system remove PFAS directly?
The announced MIEX system is intended to remove dissolved organic carbon before the water reaches a separate organo-clay PFAS removal stage. Removing organic material can reduce competition for adsorption sites in the downstream media.
How much water will the system treat?
The MIEX system and new Wading River Water Treatment Plant are designed for a capacity of up to two million gallons per day.
What other treatment processes will the plant use?
The planned treatment train includes MIEX pretreatment, GreensandPlus pressure filtration and organo-clay PFAS removal media.
When will the MIEX system become operational?
IXOM Watercare expects the system to be online by summer 2028.
Source: IXOM Watercare, City of Attleboro, MassDEP and US EPA.
