The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency was recently awarded a $5 million grant under the United States Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSmart Drought Response Program funded through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Funds will go toward construction of the Agency’s S Wells Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) Substances Treatment and Disinfection Facilities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by Biden Nov. 15, 2021, will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet.

“We deeply appreciate Congressman Mike Garcia’s support in applying for this federal grant, which is targeted to restore local groundwater affected by PFAS and will further build SCV Water’s drought resilience,” said SCV Water Board President Gary Martin. “We will continue to look for innovative avenues to restore local groundwater supply and increase our drought resiliency in the SCV.”

The $16 million groundwater treatment plant will remove PFAS at existing wells S6, S7 and S8. The plant will use a proven ion exchange process that successfully removes PFAS from groundwater. Construction is anticipated to occur January 2024 to July 2025.

“We are committed to investing in local projects that restore our community’s local water supply,” said SCV Water General Manager Matt Stone. “Regardless of recent winter rains, the Sierra snowpack, or the current drought conditions in California, projects and actions that contribute to a sustainable local water supply are always needed.”

In late 2022, $84.7 million was invested in 36 communities across the west to respond to the drought. It is part of $1 billion provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the innovative WaterSmart program, which supports states, tribes and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and avoid potential water conflicts. In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $8.3 billion for water infrastructure projects over the next five years to advance drought resilience.

The S Wells are located along the Santa Clara River trail, and the groundwater treatment facility is planned at a location across from Bridgeport Park. Combined, these wells can produce up to 6,000 gallons per minute of groundwater, enough to serve the equivalent of 10,000 households annually. This will add to the two PFAS groundwater treatment facilities which have opened since November 2020, with several others in the construction or planning phases.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of artificial chemicals that are prevalent in the environment and were commonly used in industrial and consumer products to repel grease, moisture, oil, water and stains. Water agencies do not put these chemicals into the water, but over time very small amounts enter the water supplies through manufacturing, wastewater discharge and product use. Exposure to these chemicals may cause adverse health effects.

For more information and resources on PFAS, visit yourSCVwater.com/pfas.

The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 300,000 people through 75,000 residential and business service connections. It was formed on Jan. 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com.