When per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected in very tiny concentrations , measured in parts per trillion, in portions of the Orange County Groundwater Basin, the Orange County Water District (OCWD) moved decisively to implement treatment, expand monitoring and protect water quality for the communities it serves. The basin, managed by OCWD, provides about 85% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County, so our commitment was clear: move early, build on sound science and give our local water agencies a clear path forward to continue delivering safe, reliable groundwater to their communities.
OCWD manages one of the most monitored groundwater basins in the state, supported by more than 200 production wells that our 19 cities and retail water districts pump water from. Following evolving state and federal regulatory standards, more than 100 of those wells were forced to be taken offline. This scale illustrates both the breadth of the challenge and the need for a comprehensive, regional solution. Despite playing no role in the release of PFAS into the environment, OCWD acted quickly to develop a robust PFAS policy based on an “all for one, one for all” framework, ensuring consistent support, resources, shared costs and access to treatment solutions across all member agencies.
In December 2019, OCWD launched the nation’s largest pilot program to evaluate treatment technologies for PFAS removal from groundwater. By the time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized its first national PFAS drinking water regulation in April 2024, OCWD had already established a strong technical foundation through extensive research and testing. The District’s laboratory, recognized as the first public agency lab in California certified to analyze PFAS in drinking water, enabled rapid, reliable testing to support both regulatory compliance and infrastructure planning…