With construction at Well 7 near Frisco Adventure Park starting next month, Frisco is on track to begin operating a new PFAS treatment facility by the end of 2027. 

Addison Canino, capital projects senior manager, and Frisco Town Council members said they hope the project inspires other municipalities to take on similar projects to mediate PFAS — polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals” — in their drinking water. 

“When we do commission this new facility, that is something that can be an example that other municipalities can build off of,” Canino said. 

Mayor pro temp Andy Held added that he wants the facility in Frisco to “challenge every other municipality to be looking into the quality of their water.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the PFAS is actually more widespread than was assumed previously,” he said.

The council unanimously approved a contract with Hensel Phelps Construction not to exceed $8,092,101 for the installation of a PFAS treatment facility at Well 7, which has remained offline since 2022. 

Canino confirmed the town received $8.2 million through a state revolving fund that offered a forgivable loan to cover project expenses. He credited water superintendent Ryan Thompson for helping to secure the funding. 

Thanks to that financial security and predicted stable weather conditions over the coming weeks, Canino said, “things are definitely accelerated, which is great news.” He said workers will likely break ground in mid-May and install a fence around the site as early as next month. 

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Canino recommended contracting with Hensel Phelps, a general contractor based in Greeley, because he said, “they have been true to their word” when previously working with the town. Thompson and town sanitation staff will also assist in construction along the Peninsula Recreation Area. 

Canino said the project should be complete around fall 2027. By that time, he said, the treatment system will go online, meaning it will begin filtering the “forever chemicals” out of Frisco’s drinking water supply. 

PFAS treatment efforts years in the making

The treatment facility has been several years in the making, beginning with preliminary testing that revealed the presence of PFAS in Frisco’s water system. 

In early 2020, the town participated in voluntary sampling through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which detected levels of PFAS in Well 7 near Frisco Adventure Park. Subsequently, the town opted to take the well offline in 2022 so officials could design and budget for a treatment facility. 

Since, the town has partnered with engineering consultants to determine the most feasible treatment options, including a pilot program that ran through 2024. That process ultimately identified granular activated carbon, or GAC, as the most effective filtration method. During treatment, water filters through a bed of highly porous carbon that attracts PFAS compounds to its surface. As water continues to pass through the system, the “forever chemicals” stick to the carbon, permitting cleaner water to move on for further treatment or distribution. 

Canino said a GAC system can later be expanded to incorporate ion-exchange treatment if Environmental Protection Agency regulations change in future years. Council also opted for GAC treatment because it doesn’t require the disposal of any hazardous material, thus reducing future maintenance costs. 

Council formally initiated pre-construction on Dec. 9, 2025 and since, Canino said crews have begun fieldwork, including mapping a U.S. Forest Service sanitary sewer line that runs adjacent to the future facility’s foundation. 

Mayor pro tem Andy Held clarified that under the new treatment process, water would be filtered through the GAC system before discharging to the town’s sanitation system for additional treatment. 

“We’re essentially pulling the water out of Well 7, treating it enough to send it down the way, and then they’ll treat it again,” Held said. 

Canino said he’s already coordinating with parks and recreation staff to mitigate any potential disruptions to future activities like summer camps during construction over the next year and a half. 

Council member Robyn Goldstein suggested the site could also serve an educational purpose for residents who may have questions about the upcoming treatment facility. 

“I would love to see any sort of educational materials outside of that fence, just showing the public what’s happening,” Goldstein said. “Then folks can get really nerdy about the system that you guys have going in there — I think that would be really cool.”