Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) announced on January 23, 2025, that the Orange County Water District (OCWD) was awarded a $30 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) as part of the WaterSMART: Title XVI WIIN Act. This funding, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Correavoted to pass in 2021, is designated for OCWD’s PFAS treatment program to eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from local groundwater.

“Today, hard-working taxpayers of Orange County are seeing their tax dollars return home to keep our water clean and accessible—and I’m honored that our office helped bring this investment home,” Correa said. “Orange County shines bright as a global beacon of environmental stewardship and engineering, constantly creating solutions to the environmental issues being faced by our residents. This infusion of federal funding will play a crucial role in eliminating PFAS and other forever chemicals from our water supply, and will ensure everyone that calls our community home has access to safe, clean water.”

The $30 million grant, the largest awarded among the 18 projects by the USBR, follows a competitive evaluation that highlighted OCWD as a top applicant. These funds will advance the District’s efforts to construct treatment facilities for over 100 wells impacted by state and federal regulations. Currently, 45 wells have been restored and are operational.

“As a leader in water quality and groundwater management, OCWD is committed to ensuring safe and reliable water for the 2.5 million residents in our service area,” OCWD President Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E. said. “This grant aids our ongoing efforts to expand PFAS treatment facilities throughout Orange County.”

With an estimated $1.8 billion in PFAS mitigation costs over the next 30 years, OCWD has developed a comprehensive strategy that includes building treatment infrastructure, pursuing legal action against polluters, and advocating for legislation to prevent cleanup costs from affecting ratepayers.

You can learn more about OCWD’s PFAS initiatives HERE. You can find more information on USBR’s water resiliency funding HERE.

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ABOUT LOU: Congressman Lou Correa is a longtime Orange County resident, with deep local roots. To this day, he lives only three miles from his childhood neighborhood in Anaheim. He is the son of working-class parents whose hard work gave him a chance at success and has spent his career fighting to protect the American Dream and ensure anyone can reach the middle class, just as he did. In 2016, Lou was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to continue his work by representing the community he has spent the past 20 years serving, fighting to give everyone access to the same opportunity he had. Congressman Correa is committed to working across party lines to strengthen the middle class and give everyone a shot at the American Dream by investing in education, healthcare, and our fading infrastructure, and has introduced legislation to protect the legal rights of immigrants, care for veterans, and fight against the wasteful spending of taxpayer money.