YLWD is home to the Nation's Largest PFAS Water Treatment Plant

Arial view of 22 Ion Exchange Vessels

PFOA and PFOS are man-made chemicals that are part of a larger family known as “forever chemicals” or Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS). Since the 1940s, they have been used to manufacture everyday household products such as make-up, frying pans, and pizza boxes, as well as in various industrial applications. These chemicals have been detected in water throughout the nation, including in Orange County. Studies have shown that these chemicals, over a long period of exposure, pose a possible health risk.

On February 6, 2020, the Division of Drinking Water changed its response levels for these chemicals. Since PFOA and PFOS have been found in low levels in YLWD’s groundwater wells, YLWD partnered with the Orange County Water District to construct a treatment plant, the largest plant of its kind in the nation. PFAS can be found in Nonstick Cookware, Cosmetics, Firefighting Foams, Furniture, Food Packaging, and ClothingThe District researched and tested many technologies that could be used to remove PFOA and PFOS from water and ultimately decided to construct an Ion Exchange (IX) plant, a well-established treatment technology.

Our PFAS Water Treatment Plant was completed in December 2021 and is the largest of its kind in the nation with 6 pre-filter units, 22 Ion Exchange vessels, a 25 MGD booster pumping station, and a 1000 kW natural gas back-up generator. The plant distributes treated water to our community at an operating capacity of 19 million gallons of water per day.

It’s innovative and valuable projects like our PFAS Water Treatment Plant that ensure YLWD continues to deliver safe and reliable drinking water to our customers, every day. You can learn more about PFOA and PFOS and YLWD’s actions at ylwd.com/pfos-and-pfoa. Additional information from the State Water Board is available at www.waterboards.ca.gov/pfas.

Construction Video