Seneca Meadows Partners with Water & Carbon Group for Groundbreaking 300,000-Gallon-Per-Day System
Environmental Innovation | Seneca Falls, New York | November 2025
In a landmark environmental initiative, Seneca Meadows, Inc., a subsidiary of Waste Connections, has announced a partnership with The Water & Carbon Group to design, build, and operate New York State’s first fixed-plant PFAS leachate treatment system. The pioneering facility will set new standards for environmental protection and landfill management across the region, addressing one of the most pressing contamination challenges facing communities nationwide.
Revolutionary Foam Fractionation Technology
The 300,000-gallon-per-day treatment system will utilize The Water & Carbon Group’s patented LEEF System® (Low Energy Foam Fractionation)—an innovative approach that harnesses the chemical properties of PFAS themselves to achieve removal, rather than relying on traditional chemical-based treatment methods.
The technology operates on an elegantly simple principle: fine air bubbles are injected into landfill leachate, creating countless air-water interfaces. PFAS compounds, which possess both water-attracting (hydrophilic) and water-repelling (hydrophobic) properties, naturally migrate to these bubble surfaces. As the bubbles rise through the liquid, they form a concentrated PFAS-rich foam that can be easily extracted and separated from the treated wastewater.
The process achieves removal efficiencies of up to 99.99% while maintaining remarkably low energy consumption and producing minimal residual waste—addressing two major obstacles that have made PFAS treatment economically challenging for many facilities.
“This project represents a major step forward for both Seneca Meadows and New York State,” said Nick Ganzon, US President for The Water & Carbon Group. “The LEEF System is engineered to handle complex leachate chemistries while achieving high removal efficiencies with minimal environmental impact.”
Proactive Environmental Leadership
What distinguishes this installation is Seneca Meadows’ decision to act ahead of regulatory mandates. The facility neither manufactures nor uses PFAS products, yet has chosen to invest millions in this advanced treatment system as a demonstration of environmental stewardship.
“The Seneca Meadows team is very proud of our track record investing in and implementing industry-leading technologies that achieve our goal to provide the safest, best-in-class environmental protections before regulations require,” said Kyle Black, District Manager at Seneca Meadows. “This project reflects our team’s continued drive and financial commitment to do what’s right before it is required.”
The voluntary investment comes as PFAS contamination has emerged as a critical environmental and public health crisis across New York State. Communities including Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh have faced drinking water contamination emergencies, while testing in the Finger Lakes region—including Watkins Glen and Montour Falls—has revealed the presence of these persistent chemicals in local water systems.
Building on Proven Success
The Seneca Meadows project directly builds upon the operational success of the Bethlehem Landfill LEEF System in Pennsylvania, which became the first full-scale, fixed-plant PFAS leachate treatment system using foam fractionation commissioned in the United States.
Since its July 2024 commissioning, the Bethlehem facility has consistently delivered reliable PFAS removal performance, with treated leachate achieving non-detect levels—well below U.S. EPA drinking water limits.
“In one short month, the LEEF System is already surpassing our expectations, with early results showing the removal of target PFAS contaminants to the limit of detection,” said Astor Lawson, District Manager of Bethlehem Landfill Company, shortly after that facility’s startup.
Technical Advantages: Why Foam Fractionation Stands Out
Among competing PFAS treatment technologies, the LEEF System distinguishes itself through multiple operational advantages:
Chemical-Free Operation: Uses only air bubbles—no chemical additives or consumables required
Low Energy Demand: Significantly more efficient than competing technologies, reducing operational costs and carbon footprint
No Pre-Treatment Required: Effective on raw, untreated leachate without expensive preliminary processing
Minimal Residuals: Produces waste streams typically just 0.1-0.3% of daily treatment capacity, simplifying disposal
Scalability: Modular design accommodates facilities from 1,000 to 500,000 gallons per day
Broad Spectrum Removal: Effective against both long-chain and short-chain PFAS compounds
These characteristics address the primary obstacles—high costs, energy consumption, and waste generation—that have made PFAS treatment economically unfeasible for many facilities.
Regulatory and Environmental Context
The installation comes amid intensifying regulatory pressure to address PFAS contamination nationwide. In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the first-ever national drinking water standards for PFAS, setting legally enforceable limits for six PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS.
New York State has positioned itself at the forefront of PFAS regulation. The state became the first in the nation to establish emergency drinking water standards for PFOA in January 2016. One month later, in February 2016, New York formed a Water Quality Rapid Response Team to investigate contamination reports and implement corrective actions—a model now recognized and replicated nationally.
The 2017 Clean Water Infrastructure Act directed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate more than 1,750 inactive solid waste sites statewide for potential PFAS impacts on drinking water sources. This comprehensive effort reflects New York’s commitment to protecting public health from persistent contaminants.
PFAS: The Forever Chemical Challenge
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—commonly known as “forever chemicals”—comprise a family of thousands of synthetic compounds used in countless consumer products, from non-stick cookware and water-repellent clothing to food packaging and firefighting foams.
Their molecular structure provides extreme stability and resistance to natural breakdown processes, causing them to accumulate indefinitely in water, soil, and human bodies. The carbon-fluorine bonds that make PFAS so useful in industrial applications also make them nearly indestructible in the environment.
Scientific research has linked PFAS exposure to serious health problems:
- Various cancers, including kidney and testicular cancer
- Thyroid disorders and hormonal disruption
- Immune system impacts and reduced vaccine effectiveness
- Developmental effects in children
- Liver damage and elevated cholesterol
- Low birth weight in newborns
- High blood pressure during pregnancy
The chemicals’ persistence means they remain detectable in human blood many years after initial exposure, creating long-term health monitoring challenges.
Landfills: Unexpected PFAS Reservoirs
Landfills have emerged as significant sources of PFAS contamination due to the ubiquity of products containing these chemicals. As materials break down over time, PFAS leach into liquid runoff known as leachate. Without proper treatment, this contaminated leachate can migrate into groundwater and surface water, threatening drinking water supplies for surrounding communities.
The problem’s scale is substantial: virtually every landfill in America likely receives PFAS-containing products daily, from food packaging and clothing to carpeting and electronics. This makes leachate treatment not just an environmental nicety but a public health necessity.
Industry-Wide Implications
The successful deployment of foam fractionation technology at both Bethlehem and now Seneca Meadows may establish a new industry standard for the solid waste sector. As federal and state PFAS regulations continue tightening, landfill operators nationwide are evaluating treatment options to ensure compliance and protect surrounding communities.
The LEEF System’s demonstrated technical effectiveness and economic viability position foam fractionation as a potentially preferred solution for landfills throughout the United States. The technology’s ability to handle raw leachate with minimal preprocessing while maintaining relatively low operational costs and producing minimal residuals overcomes many obstacles that have made PFAS treatment economically prohibitive for some facilities.
A Model for Corporate Environmental Responsibility
The Seneca Meadows facility represents more than just a technological achievement for New York State—it serves as a model for proactive corporate environmental responsibility that other waste management facilities can follow.
By investing in advanced treatment technology before regulatory requirements mandate such action, Seneca Meadows demonstrates that environmental protection and business operations need not be adversarial. The company’s willingness to lead rather than follow in addressing PFAS contamination sets a precedent for the entire waste management industry.
As PFAS regulations inevitably tighten in coming years, facilities that have already invested in proven treatment technologies will find themselves ahead of the compliance curve, avoiding the scramble and potential penalties that reactive approaches often entail.
Looking Ahead
The successful implementation of New York State’s first fixed-plant PFAS leachate treatment system marks a turning point in the fight against forever chemical contamination. As the technology proves itself operationally and economically at Seneca Meadows, other facilities across the state and nation will likely follow suit.
For communities that have suffered from PFAS contamination in their drinking water, the proliferation of effective treatment technologies offers hope that the tide may finally be turning against these persistent pollutants.
The forever chemical problem will not disappear overnight—the persistence that defines PFAS means decades of accumulated contamination will require decades of remediation. But with innovative technologies like foam fractionation and companies willing to invest in environmental protection, the path forward has become clearer.
