OCWD and Local Water Providers Secure Millions in PFAS Settlement by Orange County Water District Sep 15, 2025 Member Submitted News FOUNTAIN VALLEY – The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) and 14 local water providers will receive approximately $131 million over eight years from the first phase of its national class action settlements with 3M and DuPont. The settlements address claims that the manufacture and distribution of products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contributed to impacts on groundwater supplies. The funds will help offset the cost of constructing and operating PFAS treatment systems across north and central Orange County. OCWD is committed to protecting public health while keeping water service reliable and affordable. “These settlements are part of our broader effort to ensure the financial responsibility for PFAS cleanup rests with those who manufactured and profited from these compounds—not with the public,” said OCWD President Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E. “OCWD is fully committed to delivering safe, high-quality drinking water to the communities we serve.” The settlements, which received final approval from the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, are part of a national Multi-District Litigation. To date, OCWD and its participating agencies have received approximately $23 million, with additional settlement payments expected over eight years. The litigation involves additional PFAS manufacturers and distributors and remains ongoing, so additional settlements are anticipated. OCWD did not produce or release PFAS into the environment but is leading the region’s response to their presence in groundwater. The District has implemented one of the most comprehensive PFAS mitigation programs in the nation, which includes the use of ion exchange treatment technology, detailed pilot testing, system design, construction, and long-term monitoring. To manage projected PFAS treatment costs of $1.8 billion over 30 years, OCWD has secured more than $42 million in state and federal grants, a $94.4 million low-interest loan through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, and $78 million through the State Water Resources Control Board’s Emerging Contaminant Program. “We thank Representatives Young Kim and Lou Correa for their efforts to maintain federal funding for PFAS mitigation in the House’s FY 2026 EPA budget,” added Bilodeau. “Their support ensures Orange County continues to benefit from the federal-state-local partnership needed to address this challenge.” To date, OCWD has restored 49 groundwater wells with treatment systems in operation, and is actively planning, designing or constructing systems for 57 more. The District’s work has become a national model, with utilities from across the U.S. and abroad visiting Orange County to learn from its PFAS response. OCWD and participating water provides are represented in the litigation by a consortium of attorneys, including Daniel Robinson of Robinson Calcagnie, Inc., Kenneth Sansone of SL Environmental, and Andrew Homer of Kelly Drye. For more information, visit pfas.ocwd.com.
