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The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) was established in 1933 by an act of
the California State Legislature to manage and protect the Orange County Groundwater Basin
that underlies north and central Orange County. Nineteen cities and water agencies draw
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approximately 75 percent of their water supply from the groundwater basin. Since its inception,
OCWD has been California's premier sustainable groundwater management agency.
The Issue
Chemical contamination exists in the soil and groundwater in the northern part of the Orange County Groundwater
Basin, known as the North Basin and located in the cities of Fullerton, Anaheim and Placentia. The groundwater
contamination has caused drinking wells to be taken out of service. The contaminant plume extends five miles in
length and must be controlled and cleaned up to prevent impact to additional drinking water wells. The
contamination consists of industrial solvents, referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), that spilled into
the ground from industrial/manufacturing activities.
The Cleanup Strategy
After conducting extensive studies and research, OCWD has led a multiprong cleanup strategy that includes
voluntary cleanup work, litigation, settlement agreements, state and federal oversight, and solicitation of grant
funding.
OCWD requested the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
assume regulatory oversight of the North Basin groundwater contamination.
Under the joint agency agreement, OCWD is performing a remedial investigation
and feasibility study (RI/FS). OCWD field geologists and hired consultants are
nearly finished with the first phase of drilling, with 13 of the planned 14
monitoring wells complete, and expects to complete the EPA directed remedial
investigation by summer 2018.
December 2017, EPA named the North Basin site as one of the 21 national
priorities. It is the only such site in California or region #9.
January 2018, EPA formally proposed listing the North Basin site for immediate
action under the Superfund law. EPA's announcement is available at:
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-epa-proposes-add-orange-county-north-basin-superfunds-national-priorities-list
Formal listing on the National Priority List (NPL) entails an orderly process with opportunity for public
review and comments. Listing North Basin on the NPL was endorsed by the State of California early
this summer and would allow the cleanup of the site to proceed after many years of negotiations and
legal proceedings with potentially responsible parties.
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StrategyThe Cleanup •
Six extraction wells were drilled by OCWD several years ago. Up until recently, none of those wells were placed
into service for the capture and control of plume spreading. The delay in well completion was the result of legal
challenges, including a CEQA lawsuit. After waiting a few years for a resolution of the legal challenge and
considering the new directions set with the EPA, the OCWD Board of Directors took it upon themselves to direct
staff to complete and operate well EW-1, considered one of the most important of the original six wells due to its
location upgradient of two drinking water wells. To expedite the completion of the well, OCWD engineers
re -designed it to allow discharge of the contaminated water to the nearby sanitary sewer. Construction of the
new pumping system was completed and the new well became fully operational in September 2017.
The water discharged by EW-1 is sent into a sanitary sewer that is tributary to the Orange County Sanitation
District's (OCSD) Plant 1 where it is treated extensively and then sent to OCWD's Groundwater Replenishment
System where the water undergoes a three -step advanced purification process. The purified water is then
recharged into the groundwater basin for subsequent reuse.
The Cleanup Cost
OCWD staff has been working with the Prop 1 grant administrators
within the State Water Resources Control Board to secure partial
funding of the RI/FS work (planning grant), and for the construction of
the pumping systems and piping for the North Basin EW-1 project
(implementation grant). Grant funds cannot be used for long term
operation of remediation systems. The District will be looking to
potentially responsible parties to fund those operations either through
collaboration, litigation or by order of the EPA.
Next Steps
The District is committed to ensuring exceptional water quality and is
proactive in its approach to protecting the region's most valuable asset.
Protecting and cleaning up the basin are in alignment with the California
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act championed by Governor
Brown. OCWD will continue to keep stakeholders informed. In the
meantime, public comments about the proposed NPL listing may be
submitted between January 18 and March 18, 2018 at www.epa.gov 1-0
OCWD is conducting informational briefings with cities, community groups, service organizations, and
others. If you would like to find out how your group can schedule a briefing, or if you have any questions
or concerns about the North Basin, please contact OCWD at (714) 378-8244.
For more information about OCWD, visit www.ocwd.com
HB -13)5- 1111MENJENEWARVEMIM Item 10. - 58