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PFAS have been detected in very tiny amounts (parts per trillion) in the Orange County Groundwater Basin managed by the Orange County Water District (OCWD), which provides 85% of the water supply to 2.5 million people. PFAS are a family of chemicals that have been used in a multitude of consumer products. Recent state and federal regulations have placed strict limits on the occurrence of these chemicals in the drinking water supply. OCWD and its local water suppliers continue making significant headway in constructing new treatment facilities to remove PFAS from our groundwater. The estimated cost of addressing PFAS in Orange County over the next 30 years is approximately $1.8 billion.

53,098,855,787

gallons of water

treated to date

*as of 12/31/24

PFAS IMPACTS IN ORANGE COUNTY

============================================================================================================

100+

wells impacted

wells back online

impacted retailers

Federal Updates

EPA Accepting Public Comments on Draft Health Based Recommendations for PFAS Levels in Bodies of Water

Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released draft recommendations for human health criteria levels of three PFAS chemicals—PFOA, PFOS and PFBS—in surface water. These guidelines, developed under the Clean Water Act, aim to help states and Tribes establish water quality standards that protect public health from long-term exposure through drinking water and consuming aquatic organisms such as fish and seafood.

The draft recommendations set the following human health criteria:

PFOA: 0.0009 ng/L (water + organism), 0.0036 ng/L (organism only)
PFOS: 0.06 ng/L (water + organism), 0.07 ng/L (organism only)
PFBS: 400 ng/L (water + organism), 500 ng/L (organism only)

These levels reflect the latest science on PFAS toxicity, bioaccumulation, and human exposure risks. While these recommendations are not regulations, they provide guidance for states and Tribes to develop their own enforceable water quality standards. This effort is part of the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, a broader initiative to address PFAS contamination nationwide.

EPA Issues Guidelines on Use of Previously Collected PFAS Data

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidelines to help water systems meet the requirements of the final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR). These guidelines explain how water systems can use past PFAS test results to meet initial monitoring requirements and determine how often they need to test in the future.

The final NPDWR sets legal limits for five PFAS chemicals—PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, GenX (HFPO-DA), and PFHxS—as well as a combined limit for mixtures of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. Community and non-transient non-community water systems must complete initial monitoring by April 26, 2027.

Monitoring Requirements:

Groundwater systems serving more than 10,000 customers and all surface water systems must collect four quarterly samples over a 12-month period
Groundwater systems serving 10,000 or fewer customers must collect two semi-annual samples over 12-month period
Water systems may use past PFAS data (from programs like UCMR 5) if it meets EPA standards and was collected on or after January 1, 2019
If past data is incomplete, systems can take extra samples to meet requirements

Ongoing Testing:

If all PFAS levels in initial tests are below half of the Maximum Contaminant Level, systems may qualify for less frequent testing
All tests must be performed by EPA-certified labs using approved methods

The EPA is working with labs to reprocess data for small water systems. Larger systems must contact their labs for updated results. These efforts help ensure that water systems can monitor PFAS efficiently while keeping drinking water safe.

State Updates

Potential Changes to State Notification and Response Levels

On February 19, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) adopted a resolution prioritizing the development of PFAS drinking water regulations for calendar year 2025. As part of this effort, Notification Level (NL) and Response Level (RL) changes for several PFAS chemicals are planned by Division of Drinking Water (DDW) staff for consistency with the EPA federal maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). Potential changes are as follows:

Reducing the PFOA NL from 5.1 to 4.0 ng/L
Reducing the PFOS NL from 6.5 to 4.0 ng/L
Reducing the PFHxS RL from 20 to 10 ng/L, to be assessed based on a running annual average versus the current one-time result for both the NL and RL
Adoption of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) recommended PFHxA NL of 1000 ng/L (1 ug/L), with a likely corresponding RL = 10,000 ng/L (10 ug/L)
Receiving OEHHA recommended NL for PFNA (level TBD)

DDW will present these changes at a future State Board meeting in 2025. Public notice with DDW’s underlying rationale must be posted at least 30 days ahead of the meeting. Additionally, DDW plans to formally request a Public Health Goal for PFHxS from OEHHA in 2025, such that it would be developed and finalized prior to the state’s enforcement of the federal MCL. OCWD is monitoring this development and will communicate any changes to impacted water retailers in its service area.

Local Updates

OCWD Secures Federal Grant for PFAS Treatment Program

The Orange County Water District has been 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, is designated for OCWD's PFAS treatment program to eliminate these contaminants from local groundwater.

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.

Tustin Treatment Plant Receives $15 Million in Grant Funding

The city of Tustin’s PFAS Water Treatment Plant Project has been awarded a $10 million grant from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and a $5 million Community Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9. OCWD worked with the city of Tustin to secure funding.

Scheduled to come online this spring, the Tustin PFAS Treatment Plant will treat up to 9.2 million gallons of water per day (that's 6,400 gallons per minute!) Under an agreement with local water systems, OCWD covered the full cost of the technical study, design, and construction of the Tustin PFAS Water Treatment Plant, which totaled approximately $30 million. As part of this agreement, the city is responsible for assisting OCWD in seeking grants to help cover these costs. Securing this funding offsets construction costs and benefits Tustin water customers by minimizing future groundwater pumping fees.

Make Your Voice Heard!

Orange County Water District has created a platform – through its PFAS Education Center – to help you take action in reaching out to the Orange County federal legislators about the importance of upholding the polluter pays principle and protecting ratepayers from the costs of treating PFAS in our water supplies. You can quickly and easily fill out this form to make your voice heard.

In the News

PFAS are not exclusive to Orange County or even California. States across the country are in the midst of tackling PFAS in consumer products, groundwater supplies and other forms of contact. Here's what's happening around the country:

Resources

SWRCB PFAS Updates

UCI PFAS Health Study

The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) supplies clean, reliable drinking water to 2.5 million people every day. OCWD and the local water suppliers in its service area are committed to operating in compliance with all state and federal guidelines and regulatory requirements.

For more information about PFAS, please visit OCWD's PFAS Education Center.