California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Last week, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) joined Zone 7 Water Agency to celebrate the completion of a new infrastructure project that will treat 6.6 million gallons of contaminated groundwater a day for communities in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore.
The Stoneridge Well facility was made possible through a $16 million grant from the Sustainable Groundwater Management grant program. Upon opening in September this year, the facility became the first of its kind in Northern California using ion exchange technology to remove Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the water.
“The Stoneridge project will help improve both water quality and water supply reliability for the residents and businesses in the Tri-Valley,” said Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor. “The DWR grant funds will offset the local cost of this critical infrastructure upgrade, returning our most productive groundwater well to service, and effectively removing these chemicals from our water. We are deeply grateful this partnership with DWR and the funds they have provided to support our sustainable groundwater use and help us to maintain healthy and safe drinking water for our community.”
The Zone 7 Board of Directors approved the Stoneridge Well upgrades in October of 2022 and construction took about seven months.
Stoneridge is one of two well sites where PFAS were detected above the State Water Resources Control Board’s drinking water response levels that did not have existing treatment options. The second site at Chain of Lakes will also have IX treatment installed; construction on the Chain of Lakes facility is currently underway and expected to be complete in summer of 2024.
The Stoneridge Well Treatment facility is also one the many projects included under DWR’s new Go Golden Initiative. The initiative highlights the partnership between the state of California and local organizations and water agencies to fund bold and innovative projects that strengthen California’s water infrastructure and community resilience.
