California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Last month, the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, awarded Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) a final judgment of $65.9 million for the cleanup of local groundwater contamination by the Whittaker Corporation. An earlier settlement in the case with Saugus Industrial Center, a cross defendant, resulted in a $2.9 million contribution, for a total recovery of $68.8 million.
A jury found in December 2021 that Whittaker, a wholly owned subsidiary of Meggitt PLC, was primarily responsible for the damages sought by SCV Water. The final judgment incorporates the jury award as well additional amounts that were subject to a bench trial.
“This judgment comes as a result of the proactive steps we’ve taken to protect our ratepayers by getting the Whittaker Corporation to pay for the remediation of the contamination they’ve caused,” said SCV Water Board President Gary Martin.
The money SCV Water receives from this judgment will be used to construct and operate new treatment facilities to remove perchlorate and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from several impacted wells and restore lost groundwater production. A portion of the funds will also cover past expenditures that resulted from Whittaker’s contamination.
“Water quality is a top priority, and we strive to ensure that the water we serve our customers meets all standards set by Federal and State regulating agencies,” stated Matt Stone, SCV Water General Manager. “With the monies we receive, we will be working to clean and restore several wells that have been offline due to groundwater contamination.”
