New PFAS Treatment Facility Enhances Orange County’s Drinking Water Supply by Orange County Water District Sep 23, 2025 Member Submitted News ORANGE – The Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) commemorated the completion and operation of a new treatment system that removes PFAS from local groundwater. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the milestone and highlighted the agencies’ partnership to proactively protect water quality and public health. The facility in Orange uses ion exchange technology to remove PFAS from groundwater pumped from Orange Park Acres Well Number 1 (OPA-1). The system can purify up to 3,200 gallons of water per minute, providing enough clean drinking water to serve about 14,000 households in IRWD’s service area. “Bringing the well back online strengthens our local water supply,” IRWD President Doug Reinhart said. “This investment reflects IRWD’s dedication to delivering safe and reliable water to our customers.” Since 2019, OCWD, in partnership with local groundwater producers such as IRWD, has led one of the nation’s most ambitious regional PFAS treatment programs. Despite playing no role in releasing PFAS into the environment, they have collaboratively addressed PFAS in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which supplies up to 85% of the drinking water for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County. OCWD is funding the design and construction of these facilities, as well as half of the ongoing operation and maintenance costs, while the groundwater producers operate the facilities. “OCWD is proud to partner with agencies like IRWD to implement solutions that protect our groundwater and ensure a resilient water supply,” said Denis Bilodeau, board president of OCWD. “This project demonstrates the power of regional collaboration and our shared commitment to protecting water quality for generations to come.” The drinking water IRWD provides to its customers is safe and meets all water quality standards set by the state and federal governments. That includes new PFAS standards set for 2029 by the U.S. EPA in April 2024. IRWD already meets those standards, five years ahead of the deadline. OPA-1 received partial funding from the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, demonstrating continued state and federal support for innovative, community-based water infrastructure initiatives. To date, the State Board has provided OCWD with a total of $38.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to contribute to the funding for PFAS treatment facilities. “With increasing data substantiating the need to eliminate PFAS from our drinking water, the State Water Board is moving quickly to support projects like the one we are marking here today,” said State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. “Of the $269 million we’ve received so far from the BIL to combat emerging contaminants, we’ve provided $103 million for projects benefitting 1.4 million people statewide, with dozens more applications in process. I thank OCWD for leading the way here in Orange County to leverage this general funding for the benefit of local communities.” “We at EPA are proud to celebrate the Irvine Ranch and Orange County water districts’ achievement in making tap water safe for over 14,000 households,” said EPA Deputy Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Cheree Peterson. “This success, funded through EPA and our partnership with the State of California, demonstrates the powerful impact of federal resources meeting local action.” For more information on OCWD’s PFAS treatment program, visit pfas.ocwd.com. The Orange County Water District manages the local groundwater basin that supplies water to 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County. For more information about OCWD, please visit www.ocwd.com and follow @OCWaterDistrict on social media. Irvine Ranch Water District provides high-quality drinking water, reliable sewage collection and treatment, drought-proof recycled water, and natural urban runoff treatment to residents and businesses in Irvine and portions of Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin and unincorporated Orange County. For more information, visit www.irwd.com/pfas.
