The Pentagon’s PFAS Experiment Is Getting Real

Defense-backed pilots from 2023 to 2025 test PFAS cleanup tools as EPA limits tighten and real-world data guides next steps

6 Jan 2026

A quiet but meaningful shift is taking place in how the United States tackles PFAS pollution. Backed by the Department of Defense, a set of field trials is moving cleanup technologies out of the lab and into daily use at military sites, where contamination is often severe and long-standing.

The effort did not arrive overnight. Many of the pilot agreements were signed between 2023 and 2025, with active testing now underway at bases across the country. For an industry known for slow timelines and regulatory gray areas, the program offers a steadier route from concept to proof.

The work is coordinated through the Defense Innovation Unit, which pairs federal agencies with technology developers to test remediation tools under real conditions. Military installations, heavily affected by decades of firefighting foam use, serve as demanding test beds. The focus is on how systems perform over time, what they cost to run, and whether they hold up beyond a controlled setting.

A key goal is permanence. Defense officials have stressed the need for methods that destroy or remove PFAS entirely, rather than trapping the chemicals and shifting the burden elsewhere. That standard shapes which technologies make it into the field.

Several companies are now part of the trials. Allonnia is testing materials designed to pull PFAS from water more efficiently. Cyclopure is running compact systems aimed at smaller or remote locations where speed matters. 374Water is evaluating a high-heat, high-pressure process meant to break down PFAS and limit secondary waste.

The stakes extend beyond the bases themselves. Technologies that succeed under Defense oversight gain a level of credibility that can influence investors, regulators, and future customers. Still, officials caution that pilots are a step forward, not a signal of broad rollout.

Regulation adds pressure. The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized stricter drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds, and Defense cleanup plans are adjusting in response. Data from these trials could help regulators make informed decisions while exposing the practical challenges of scaling solutions across diverse sites.

Taken together, the program reflects a more disciplined approach to cleanup. Progress is incremental, expectations are clearer, and evidence carries more weight than promise. For PFAS remediation, that may be the most important shift of all.