SCV Water’s Board of Directors, staff and community members gathered Wednesday for the Valley Center Well Water Treatment Facility ribbon-cutting.

This new facility restores local groundwater affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and will provide a local, sustainable water supply equivalent to serve up to 1,000 families annually.

“Bringing the Valley Center Well Treatment Facility online restores water affected by PFAS chemicals and is one of many PFAS groundwater treatment projects we have in the works,” saidnSCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “A local, reliable water supply for our customers is critical, especially during the drought, and reduces our reliance on costly imported water.”

New Valley Center Well Treatment Facility Features and Community Benefits:

– Restores a well which has been offline since 2019 due to PFAS chemicals
– Produces 1,200 gallons per minute on average
-Restores enough water to serve up to 1,000 families annually
– Project cost: $5.5 million
– Facility includes two vessels, pumps, motors and ancillary equipment
– Treats water through synthetic ion adsorption, a proven, cost-effective PFAS treatment option

SCV Water’s team of water quality experts are committed to proactively investing in technology for treating and removing PFAS from local groundwater. As a result, three wells were brought back online in December 2020, providing water equivalent to annual use by 5,000 families. Following the Valley Center Well, more groundwater treatment projects are scheduled to be back online at the rate of about one per year.

Groundwater is an important water source, especially during times of drought. Every well we bring back online provides a secure source of local water. Three wells were restored to service in late 2020 and provide water equivalent to what 5,000 families use annually. Then, following this facility, more groundwater treatment projects are scheduled to be back online at the rate of about one per year for the foreseeable future.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of synthetic chemicals, including PFOA, PFOS and GenX. For more than 70 years, PFAS have been manufactured and used in various industries worldwide. These chemicals are found in thousands of commonly used products, such as non-stick cookware, shampoo, food wrappers, firefighting foam, clothing, paints and cleaning products. Additionally, these chemicals exist in the environment due to manufacturing, product use and discharge of treated wastewater.