The End of Liquid Waste? Engineering a Cleaner PFAS Fix

BioLargo and Aquatech join forces to tackle PFAS contamination as tightening EPA regulations drive a remediation market toward $2.34 billion

12 May 2026

Signed on May 4, 2026, a new memorandum of understanding between BioLargo Equipment Solutions and Technologies and Aquatech marks a notable step in the race to solve one of water treatment's most stubborn problems. PFAS contamination, driven deeper into public focus by tightening US EPA limits, is forcing utilities across America to act fast and spend smart.

Central to this partnership is BioLargo's Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator. Using electromotive force, the AEC captures PFAS directly onto membrane surfaces without generating a secondary liquid waste stream, the costly byproduct that burdens many conventional treatment approaches. Slot that concentration step into Aquatech's end-to-end PFAS flowsheets, which already include thermal and destruction capabilities, and the result is a more complete, lower-waste treatment path for municipal and industrial clients.

Aquatech is no minor partner. Awarded Water Technology Company of the Year at the 2025 Global Water Summit in Paris, its portfolio spans membrane, electrochemical, and biological systems at global scale. For BioLargo, joining that network could dramatically expand the commercial reach of a technology still building its deployment record.

Market forces add urgency. Forecast to grow from $2.34 billion this year to $3.28 billion by 2031 at a 7% annual rate, the PFAS filtration sector is expanding on the back of regulatory pressure, not market speculation. Governments across North America are enforcing new maximum contaminant levels, and utilities face hard deadlines that cannot be deferred.

Caution is still warranted. No commercial contracts have been signed, financial terms remain undisclosed, and deployment milestones have not been set. BioLargo's AEC was installed at a New Jersey municipal facility in January 2026, but large-scale validation is still ahead.

What this partnership reflects, regardless of outcome, is a structural shift in how the sector is approaching PFAS. Integrated, modular flowsheets combining specialized concentration with proven destruction are increasingly how utilities will meet compliance demands, and this collaboration puts two companies at the front of that transition.