Council voted 5-0 to approve a 30-year agreement with Orange County Water District (OCWD) which will provide funding for construction of PFAS (groundwater contaminant) treatment plants and a portion of ongoing operational and maintenance costs for impacted Fullerton water wells, at their April 21 meeting.

The City of Fullerton has up to nine wells (with one of the wells slated to be re-drilled) impacted by PFAS. There is currently one major production well, located at the City’s Main Plant in the City of Anaheim, which is off-line due to detections of PFAS.

While the permanent treatment systems are being constructed, which could take from 18 to 36 months, the City may have increased costs related to import water and construction of temporary treatment systems, if necessary.

PFAS are a large group of chemicals that have been used in many industries since the 1940s, which are harmful to human health. The chemical properties of PFAS make them difficult to remove through chemical and biological processes employed in conventional water and wastewater treatment.

Some products which may contain PFAS.

Over the last year, many agencies within Orange County have been testing for PFAS as ordered by the Division of Drinking Water (DDW). This testing may result in up to 71 OCWD wells being removed from service. Because of the regional nature of this groundwater contaminant, OCWD has taken a leadership role in developing groundwater treatment solutions.