About 50 residents attended the January 22 US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) meeting at the Fullerton Community Center. The presentation by EPA Remedial Project Manager Amanda Cruz updated the 6.4-mile North Orange County Plume and the action being taken to clean up the polluted shallow aquifer underlying Orange County to protect our drinking water. 

Part of Fullerton’s Water Crew: Stephen Bise, Director of Public Works, Andrew Grajeda, Water Systems Manager, Delaney Felix, Water Quality Supervisor, Richard Armendariz, Assistant Director of Pubic Works

Fullerton’s Water Division, along with the OCWD, keeps a close eye on our water and the cleanup developments. Fullerton’s Director of Public Works, Stephen Bise, Assistant Director Richard Armendariz,  Andrew Grajeda, Water Systems Manager, and Delaney Felix, Water Quality Supervisor, were all in attendance. 

Most of Fullerton’s water is pumped from the deep aquifer and is regularly monitored to make sure it meets all health requirements. Any wells that are found to be affected are immediately shut down. Six wells have been shut down in the past five years. 

The actions the USEPA will take over the next several years will begin a 30-year or longer process to remove contamination from the shallow aquifer, ensuring it doesn’t spread to our drinking water. The cleanup will require about 17 extraction wells, a piping system, a treatment plant, injection wells, and about 20 monitoring wells. 

Because the North OC Plume has been designated a Superfund site, the cleanup will be paid for by the federal government, which will seek reimbursement from the 58 responsible polluters so that local ratepayers won’t be burdened with the estimated more than $200 million price tag over the next 30 years. 

In addition, the California DTSC and the Regional Water Quality Control Board are working above ground on 34 sites identified as source areas of the plume. 

The public comment period on the proposed cleanup plan ends February 19, 2026. Send comments to Amanda Cruz, Remedial Project Manager, EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3902 or email your comments to cruz.amanda@epa.gov

To review documents and to make a comment, visit www.epa.gov/superfund/orange-county-north-basin

Amanda Cruz and EPA team

Superfund Cleanup Process

Cleaning up Superfund sites is a complex, multi-phase process. The contents of this page are provided to help you learn how the cleanup process works and to find opportunities for community involvement. Click links at each phase of the process for more information.