California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
The Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Serrano Water District (Serrano) began operating one of the County’s first treatment plants to remove per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from local well water.
The Serrano facility is among 35 PFAS treatment facilities being designed and constructed in Orange County over the next two years; Serrano is one of the first in the county to be completed and go online. OCWD is funding 100% of design and construction costs and 50% of operation and maintenance costs for its water suppliers like Serrano.
“OCWD and our dedicated staff work tirelessly to address PFAS in the Orange County Groundwater Basin,” said OCWD President Steve Sheldon. “Recognizing the importance of being proactive and getting treatment facilities constructed swiftly, OCWD and its retail water providers like Serrano Water District are ensuring that Orange County’s water supply remains among the highest quality in the nation. I want to commend our team on achieving this milestone.”
Serrano had two of its groundwater wells impacted by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), prompting it to temporarily shut down those wells and transition to purchasing imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California. These wells are among dozens of wells throughout Orange County that were removed from service in 2020 after the state of California lowered the Response Level advisories of PFOA and PFOS.
The facility uses an Ion Exchange (IX) treatment system made of highly porous resin that acts like powerful magnets that adsorb and hold onto contaminants. Up to 4.6 million gallons of water can be treated per day.
