OCWD PFAS Update
September 18, 2019
The Orange County Water District (OCWD) and all water agencies in its service area operate their water systems in compliance with all state and federal and guideline regulatory requirements. We strive to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to 2.5 million customers.
Overview
The Orange County Water District (OCWD) strives to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to 2.5 million customers every day. OCWD and the water agencies in its service area are committed to operating in compliance with all state and federal and guidelines and regulatory requirements.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are chemicals that are prevalent in the environment and were once commonly used in many consumer products. Through an ongoing investigation, California and many other states have found that PFAS have made their way into our groundwater, particularly near airports and military bases where these chemicals are commonly used.

OCWD and local water retailers are actively engaged with federal and state regulators and elected and appointed officials on this issue. As part of its commitment to transparency, OCWD provides regular PFAS updates to community stakeholders.

For more background information, please see the materials below:

Local Activities
OCWD completed the second round of well testing for agencies who received monitoring orders from the state and data should be available in the coming month.

OCWD’s pilot program continues to move forward. OCWD’s consultant, Jacobs, recommends 12 total GAX, IX and novel sorbents be included in the initial lab- and pilot-scale testing. A longer list of products was considered, and a document was prepared indicating the rationale for not including those products at this time. The IX products will only be tested at the pilot scale. OCWD anticipates both the lab- and pilot-scale testing to begin in October in parallel.

OCWD continues to work with a consultant regarding the 3D visualizations of PFOA and PFOS occurrence in the groundwater basin. Preliminary data indicates the plume is being pushed out and may affect more water retailers in the future. A more formal presentation of the data will be shared at an upcoming meeting of the Water Issues Committee.  

OCWD staff prepared a draft policy framework regarding the District’s role in supporting construction and operations and maintenance costs related to PFAS treatment for the local water retailers it serves. This draft policy will be presented at the next meeting of the Water Issues Committee and will then be considered by OCWD’s Board of Directors as an informational item at the October 16 Board of Directors Meeting. It’s anticipated that final board approval of the policy will be obtained in November and then draft agreements with individual retailers could be started.

OCWD continues to work with other stakeholders in the region to share information and updates on PFAS issues. Jason Dadakis is participating on a PFAS panel in Washington D.C. at a workshop hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on September 26. 
Legislative Update
While locally we are addressing the PFAS issue, impending decisions at the state and federal levels could have devastating impacts on the number of OC wells that could be taken out of service and/or need to be treated. Seventy-one of the 198 drinking water wells (35%) in north and central OC could be taken out of service for 2.5 million people. In addition to supply constraints, state and federal decisions or lack of action could result in financial impacts ranging from $20 million to $850 million over the next 30 years for this region alone. As testing orders expand, many regions in California will also be faced with these challenges.

OCWD continues to monitor this issue and advocate at the state and federal levels.

On the federal front, OCWD President Vicente Sarmiento, Director Denis Bilodeau and General Manager Mike Markus will be in Washington D.C. September 23-25 to meet with elected officials and key staff regarding PFAS. Talking points for the meetings are based on the State & Federal Solutions To Address PFAS Contamination in OC . 

On the state front, it has been quiet as the California State Legislature is on Interim Study Recess until January 6, 2020. 
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