SCV Water’s top priority is to ensure the Santa Clarita Valley has reliable supplies of wholesome, high-quality water, and the Agency is keeping its water safe for drinking water consumption through minimizing and mitigating the public health and environmental effects of hazardous substances that have been identified in the Saugus Formation Aquifer.

As part of this effort, SCV Water is seeking input on the removal of these substances during a 30-day public comment period (that began on) Jan. 26 – Friday, Feb. 24, 2021.

The public is invited to review and comment on the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) dated January 2021 regarding SCV Water’s proposed Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) for the Saugus Formation Aquifer (Aquifer) and the associated Community Involvement Plan (CIP), dated January 2021.

A virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 4:00 p.m. as part of this public comment period. The meeting and details are available at www.yourSCVwater.com/removal-action.

“Our top priority is providing safe, reliable water for our customers and our community,” said SCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “We welcome community input as we take steps to safeguard our water supply and protect the public health and the environment.”

The goals of the EE/CA are to satisfy environmental review requirements for removal actions, administrative requirements for improved documentation of removal action selection, and provide a framework for evaluating and selecting alternative technologies. Additionally, the EE/CA identifies the objectives of a removal action and analyzes the various alternatives that may be used to satisfy the objectives based on an evaluation of effectiveness, implementability and cost criteria.

What is being proposed?

The EE/CA addresses the groundwater containing the hazardous substances perchlorate and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) entering four production wells (Saugus 1 and 2, V-201, and V205) under active pumping conditions and ensures that the water produced by these wells satisfy drinking water requirements of the California State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water. Future response actions may be necessary to address the sources of the hazardous substances released to the Saugus Formation, and the migration pathways between the sources and SCV Water’s production wells.

SCV Water has prepared this EE/CA consistent with the substantive requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) to enhance their ability to recover costs from parties responsible for the perchlorate detected in the groundwater produced by production well V-205, and the VOCs detected in the groundwater produced by production wells Saugus 1, Saugus 2, V-201, V-205. SCV Water considers it important to implement a removal action to prevent, minimize, and mitigate damage to public health, welfare, and the environment. Therefore, SCV Water intends to select and implement a removal action as soon as practicable.

Where to send comments or get more information:
The public comment period begins on Jan. 26, 2021, and it will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. Comments can be submitted by one of the following methods and should include “Saugus Aquifer CIP, EE/CA Comment” in the subject line of your e-mail or letter. All comments must be postmarked or e mailed by Feb. 24, 2021.

1. E-Mail.

Send comments to:

Jim Leserman

Senior Engineer

SCV Water

jleserman@scvwa.org

2. Hard Copy via U.S. Mail

Jim Leserman,

Senior Engineer

SCV Water

26521 Summit Circle

Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Next steps
After the public comment period and public meeting, SCV Water will review all comments and address them in a Responsiveness Summary and then will issue an Action Memorandum, which authorizes and initiates the removal action process.

More information and resources
A public notice regarding this project was posted in the Signal on Jan. 26. In addition, SCV Water is providing the community with information via its e-newsletter, social media and its website, including a comprehensive fact sheet, is available at www.yourSCVwater.com/removal-action.

Copies of the proposed documents are available by contacting the SCV Water Project Manager listed below; online at the SCV Water website www.yourSCVwater.com; or at the SCV Water office – by appointment only at 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita CA 91350. Call (661) 297-1600 to make an appointment.

Hearing-impaired individuals may use the California Relay Service at 711 or 800-855-7100 (TDD).

About SCV Water:
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 74,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on January 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com.

For more information, contact Kathie Martin, communications manager for SCV Water at kmartin@scvwa.org.