Moving Forward with our PFAS Investigation

NASA continues to address historical PFAS use at Wallops to assess 

known or suspected releases to the environment.

Monitoring PFAS in the environment 

Samples are sent to 

EPA-certified labs for analysis.

We’ve made progress 

since we began investigating 

in 2016 and we continue 

working on several 

important 

initiatives: 

Protecting the area’s water supply 

Tracking New Regulations & Developments

NASA constructed and is operating a 

groundwater treatment system 

to remove PFAS from the Town’s 

supply wells.

Over 120 million gallons of groundwater 

treated through December 2023 

Regular testing of Town 

wells and the treated drinking 

water shows PFAS are 

successfully removed.

NASA shares results with the 

Town, State and federal 

environmental and health 

agencies

In 2023, NASA installed a 

new water supply well for 

NASA Wallops.

This well supplements the 

NASA Wallops Main Base 

drinking water supply

PFAS is removed from the 

Town’s water supply wells by a 

treatment system constructed 

and operated by NASA. 

Surface water sampling 

in Jenny’s Gut and Little 

Mosquito Creek is ongoing 

to help NASA understand:

How groundwater and 

surface water interact

How PFAS are moving 

in the environment

What areas rmay require 

PFAS cleanup activities

Which remedial technologies 

are most effective

New regulations and developments:

-A national drinking water standard 

for 6 PFAS finalized by EPA on April 10, 2024.

-EPA-approved analytical methods for 29 unique PFAS in 

drinking water, and up to 40 more draft methods under 

consideration.

-14 PFAS regional screening levels for groundwater and soil.

-Surface water quality criteria for the protection of human 

health (expected fall 2024)

NASA is using the latest 

scientific information to 

investigate PFAS.

New and previously taken 

samples are evaluated 

using the most recent 

EPA screening levels for 

groundwater and soil.

A field technician collects 

water samples.

Workers collect deep 

groundwater samples with 

the help of drill rigs.

Regular groundwater 

monitoring is conducted 

to understand the nature 

and extent of PFAS at 

and in the vicinity of 

Wallops.
NASA is conducting studies to contain or remove possible PFAS source areas. 

Targeted Cleanup and Pilot Studies

These efforts help 

to ensure the protection 

of public health and 

the environment.

A groundwater seep containing PFAS was discharging 

to surface water near Main Base Outfall 3. NASA 

designed and installed a treatment system in 2022 

to capture seep water and remove PFAS before 

discharging back to the surface water. 

System monitoring and upgrades in 2022 and 2023 

have increased effectiveness.

NASA designed a treatment system to remove 

PFAS from surface water near Outfall 3.

Shallow groundwater containing PFAS was 

discovered entering the wastewater collection 

system on Wallops Island in 2022. NASA 

permanently sealed two manholes and repaired a 

broken wastewater line in June 2023 to reduce 

groundwater infiltration. Post-repair sampling has 

shown a decrease of greater than 80% in PFAS 

entering the system to the lowest levels since 

sampling began in 2017.

The Wallops Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP 

effluent that discharges to surface water at Main 

Base Outfall 1 has detected levels of PFAS. 

NASA has been testing treatment removal 

technologies to design and implement a 

treatment system to remove PFAS from the 

WWTP effluent. 

Testing of various treatment methods began 

in 2022 at the Main Base Outfalls 3 and 10 to 

remove PFAS in groundwater before it 

enters Little Mosquito Creek and Jenny’s 

Gut. Adsorbent material that captures PFAS 

in its pores was placed along the stream 

bed and right into the stream flow in certain 

places. Design is currently underway on 

methods to prevent PFAS from entering the 

streams.

Adsorbent materials often contain activated 

carbon that captures PFAS from surface water.

NASA testing apparatus that is being 

used to evaluate effectiveness of 

various adsorbents to remove PFAS 

from the Wallops WWTP effluent.

Workers repair the Island manhole and pipe that 

reduced PFAS concentrations entering the Wallops 

wastewater treatment plant by 80%.