Highlights from April 2024

The Orange County Water District and its 19 cities and retail water districts are intensifying their efforts to combat PFAS contamination in Orange County following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) establishment of legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six PFAS chemicals.

While chemical manufacturers are the original source of PFAS, OCWD has been actively addressing PFAS detected in the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The basin, managed by OCWD, provides 85% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County.

With the latest EPA ruling, this increases the total number of affected wells to more than 100, impacting 15 local cities and retail water districts. OCWD will design and construct more PFAS treatment facilities to restore impacted groundwater wells within the five-year compliance period. OCWD’s early efforts to build PFAS treatment facilities have already brought approximately 40 wells back online.

PFAS contamination remains OCWD’s top priority—it's a significant and costly challenge. The estimated cost of addressing PFAS in Orange County over the next 30 years is approximately $1.8 billion. OCWD has undertaken various measures to protect water quality and customers, including legal actions against polluters and advocating for legislation to fund PFAS cleanup while ensuring water agencies aren't held liable.

And the work continues. We are doing everything we can to address PFAS promptly. I encourage you to visit the PFAS Education Center to learn more.

A pair of bald eagles that have called the Prado Wetlands home for the last few years have been formally named: Lucy and Ricky. 

Located in Riverside County, the Prado Wetlands, owned by Orange County Water District is the largest constructed wetlands on the west coast of the United States, and play a pivotal role in protecting and increasing Orange County’s water supply. It is also home to several rare and endangered birds and waterfowl species, including bald eagles. This past Earth Day, OCWD celebrated not only the naming of Lucy and Ricky but also welcomed the arrival of their three new eaglets.

Protecting Our Habitat While Maximizing Orange County's Water Supply

Seeing the Prado bald eagle family flourish underscores the importance of the District's environmental stewardship programs. OCWD has a critical mission to manage and protect the Orange County Groundwater Basin and our work out in Prado supports this.

OCWD manages its water supply in an environmentally responsible manner through removal of nonnative invasive species, habitat restoration and wildlife management. This creates habitat for critically endangered species while allowing the District to collect and store more water for Orange County. The Prado Wetlands also improve water quality by reducing nitrate levels and naturally purifying the water for future percolation into the basin.

The Orange County Water District manages and protects the Orange County Groundwater Basin which underlies north and central Orange County, and from which 19 cities and retail water districts draw their water supply. OCWD implements a proactive groundwater and surface water monitoring program to protect the quality of the groundwater basin and to ensure the water meets all state and federal drinking water standards. 

Sign up for the webinar to learn about the South Basin Groundwater Protection Project. This project focuses on a two-square-mile portion of the groundwater aquifer located under Irvine, Santa Ana and Tustin, where industrial chemicals left behind from decades-old manufacturing have contaminated the shallow portion of the groundwater. While not the responsible party, OCWD is working on ways to clean up the pollution in a collaborative effort with state and federal regulatory agencies.

When: Wednesday, May 22 at 12:00 p.m.

Featured speakers:

• Bill Leever, PG, CHg, Principal Hydrogeologist, Orange County Water District
• Angela Turner, P.G., Engineering Geologist/Project Manager, Department of Toxic Substances Control
• Mona Behrooz, Ph.D., P.E., Site Cleanup Program Supervisor, Cal EPA- Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

Mesa Water District: Community's Abundant Water Supply Bolstered with Mesa Water's Two New Wells

Mesa Water District bolstered its abundant water supply with the completion of two new potable (drinking) water wells that increase local groundwater production capacity and keep Mesa Water drought-resilient. Croddy Well No. 14 and Chandler Well No. 12 are now Mesa Water’s largest producing wells – each pumping approximately 4,000 gallons per minute of local, clean, safe water, and adding more than 50% to the community’s water supply. The district now has nine wells to pump water to serve the community. A new pipeline connects the two 1,000-foot deep wells to Mesa Water’s distribution system, which pumps, treats and delivers nearly five billion gallons of high-quality drinking water to residential and business customers each year.

Yorba Linda Water District: YLWD Dedicates its PFAS Water Treatment Plant to Highlight Dr. J. Wayne Miller's Contributions

The Yorba Linda Water District Board of Directors rededicated its state-of-the art PFAS Water Treatment Plant in honor of former YLWD Board President Dr. J. Wayne Miller. The J. Wayne Miller, Ph.D. Water Treatment Plant – capable of treating up to 25 million gallons of water per day – provides clean drinking water for the 80,000 customers the Yorba Linda Water District serves and is the largest Ion Exchange PFAS Water Treatment Plant in the nation. The J. Wayne Miller, Ph.D. Water Treatment Plant treats the District’s local groundwater supply, sourced from the Orange County Groundwater Basin, reduces imported water demands and minimizes the effects on the electrical grid by pumping water during off-peak periods.

Congrats to Patti Wimmerstedt who was named the 2024 Employee of the First Quarter!

Patti personifies what outstanding performance, leadership, and initiative looks like. She has continuously demonstrated her support to meet the demands and needs of the District. With her strong work ethic, commitment to excellence and continuous improvement for the District, she has made a significant impact on the organization. Patti recently retired from the District as a Senior Buyer. We congratulate her on this recognition, thank her for all the work she has done for the District and wish her well in her retirement!

OCWD President Cathy Green and GM John Kennedy had an informative meeting with Orange County's Fourth District Supervisor Doug Chaffee to brief him on District initiatives and programs.

District staff at the Prado Wetlands had the chance to see three barn owl chicks up-close. This was part of a routine visit and part of the District's habitat and wildlife preservation program.

Construction progresses on the Tustin PFAS Treatment Plant, one of many being built throughout Orange County as part of OCWD's robust response to remove PFAS detected in the local groundwater basin.

Learn about OCWD's role in providing a safe, reliable, local water supply by attending an event, webinar or tour. Individuals and groups are invited to tour the award-winning GWRS and other District facilities.

Through our active speakers bureau program, you may request for our expert staff to come speak to organizations and schools, as well as local, national and international conferences.