Welcome to our latest blog post, where we delve into the pressing issue that has gripped our local water agencies in Orange County. A daunting challenge lies ahead, as these agencies confront a staggering $1.8 billion hurdle imposed by new EPA regulations targeting the so-called ‘forever’ chemicals in our tap water. The twist? These persistent substances, scientifically known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), have seeped into our water supply through no fault of the agencies tasked with keeping our water safe. Join us as we explore how these entities are gearing up to tackle a potential health crisis, armed with innovation and a deep commitment to public health. The following is from a recently published article on the OCregister:
“This month, when the Environmental Protection Agency announced the first-ever federal rules on how much of a half-dozen deadly PFAS chemicals to allow in your tap water, 40 public wells in Orange County instantly became unsafe for human consumption, at least on paper.
The fact that those wells will continue to supply water to hundreds of thousands of local residents – even while they’re under a strict schedule that calls for them to be PFAS-free by 2029 – is part of a broader story about the hard choices and high costs associated with human exposure to PFAS compounds, also known as “forever” chemicals.
And in Orange County, where exposure to those chemicals is higher than it is in most of the country, the story also is about how local water officials have been scrambling for years to stave off a potential health disaster they had no hand in creating.
Since 2020, when the state of California responded to research showing forever chemicals are more deadly than previously believed by issuing its own PFAS limits (and by calling for affected wells to be closed during clean-up, a stark difference from the new EPA rules) the county’s biggest water agency has closed 62 of the county’s 220 wells, installed filtration systems in them, and, to date, reopened 38.
But that’s just a start. You can find the the best water filtration at Superior Water.
Water officials believe the effort to rid the local water supply of forever chemicals will cost at least $1.8 billion over the next 30 years, with spending needed for everything from industrial-strength filtration systems and disposal services to legal fees. And while much of that money will come from the chemical companies that made PFAS compounds and hid their dangers from the public, as well as from federal and state grants, consumers also will pay, with some local water bills eventually going up by $5 to $10 a month.”
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