Water-Link and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) are launching a joint research project to continue complying with drinking water quality regulations in the years ahead, in particular with the target value of 4 ng/L for EFSA-4 (the group of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS, based on studies by the European Food Safety Authority), which will become applicable from January 2028.
Preparing for stricter PFAS regulations
The upcoming European regulation will significantly tighten allowable PFAS concentrations in drinking water. Achieving compliance with stricter limits requires more than effective treatment technologies alone. It demands detailed process understanding, predictive capability and precise operational control. As part of its long-term sustainability and compliance strategy, Water-Link is therefore taking a proactive step to ensure continued high-quality drinking water production.
Why VUB?
Water-Link selected VUB (Department of Chemical Engineering) as partner for its recognized expertise in adsorption processes, material characterization and advanced modelling approaches. The Adsorption Research Group, led by Prof. Joeri Denayer, brings extensive scientific knowledge of both fundamental adsorption science and applied process modelling – crucial to address the complex challenge of controlling PFAS at very low concentration levels in activated carbon systems. By combining academic expertise with operational plant experience, both partners strengthen the scientific foundation of PFAS removal in full-scale drinking water production.
Building a predictive control model
The project’s outcome is to develop an advanced model that:
- Provides full insight into PFAS occurrence and behavior throughout the treatment chain
- Enables optimized control of PFAS removal processes
- Supports operational decision-making at plant level
- Ensures continued robust production of high-quality drinking water
Implementation across production centers
The resulting operational framework will be implemented at Production Center Walem (PCW), Production Center Notmeir (PCN), Production Center Oelegem 1 (PCO1) and Production Centers Oelegem 2 (PCO2 A–B–C), each equipped with a train of multiple large-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) filters.
By strengthening process insight and operational control at these sites, Water-Link reinforces its commitment to delivering safe and sustainable drinking water.
Bridging science and operations
The collaboration combines VUB’s academic expertise with the operational know-how of Water-Link. Together, the partners aim to deliver a scientifically robust and practically implementable solution. Through this initiative, Water-Link continues to invest in innovation, sustainability and regulatory readiness — ensuring compliant and high-quality drinking water production today and in the years ahead.
Background article: https://water-link.be/nieuws/pfas-en-drinkwater-wat-betekent-dit-voor-de-waterkwaliteit
Starting date: 01 February 2026
Contact:
Head of Research prof. dr. ir. Joeri Denayer – Joeri.Denayer@vub.be
Business Developer dr. ir. Marleen Claeys – Marleen.Claeys@vub.be