374Water announces collaboration agreement with Crystal Clean aimed at eradicating PFAS

374Water Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, has announced a waste destruction services (WDS) collaboration agreement with Illinois-based Crystal Clean focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) eradication.

The agreement aims to provide 374Water with the ability to pursue large federal destruction contracts for aqueous film-forming foam, granular activated carbon, ion exchange resin and other PFAS-contaminated wastes. 374Water will establish a full-service WDS operation while pursuing large municipal and industrial PFAS waste destruction contracts.

At one of Crystal Clean’s facilities, operations will include pre- and posttreatment systems, ancillary equipment and 374Water’s proprietary AirSCWO technology, which uses supercritical water to treat a broad range of feedstocks, destroying and mineralizing a broad spectrum of nonhazardous and hazardous organic wastes, producing safe dischargeable water streams, mineral effluent, vent gas and recoverable heat energy. Crystal Clean and 374Water simultaneously will market AirSCWO WDS to existing customers, with the goal of securing additional waste streams for destruction, 374 Water says.

“At Crystal Clean, our vision is to protect the Earth’s resources by helping the business world run cleaner,” says Brian Recatto, president and CEO of Crystal Clean. “This partnership strengthens our position as a leader in the safe and effective removal of PFAS from the environment. By hosting 374Water’s supercritical water oxidation system at one of our waste treatment facilities, we are bringing together proven PFAS destruction technology with our trusted operations to better support the evolving needs of government and industrial clients. This is a strategic move that builds upon our existing capabilities to concentrate PFAS waste, allowing for safe, efficient and compliant destruction.”

“Crystal Clean is an ideal partner to enable our waste destruction services business to scale rapidly and support growing demand across a wide array of market verticals and waste streams," says Chris Gannon, CEO of 374Water. “The combination of 374Water’s AirSCWO destruction technology and Crystal Clean’s experience collecting and concentrating PFAS waste streams unlocks significant potential revenue for both companies, including destruction contracts for federal PFAS-contaminated waste streams. With Crystal Clean’s 25-plus years of experience as a leader in the environmental services market, we believe this partnership will empower us to unlock the massive PFAS waste destruction market.”

374Water plans to establish its WDS operations by the end of 2025. While initial WDS operations will use the AirSCWO 6 system, 374Water says it could install a second AirSCWO 6 system in 2026 to meet client demand.

Additionally, 374Water is building its mobile AirSCWO fleet for on-site WDS, with the goal of building a fleet of mobile AirSCWO systems moving forward.