California’s Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD) have received the 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 9 Outstanding Project Award for the YLWD Ion Exchange PFAS Water Treatment Plant, according to an OCWD press release.
OCWD’s per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment program is the nation’s largest ion exchange (IX) treatment plant. It tested effective treatment techniques to remove PFAS from local well water.
Region 9 is ASCE’s California chapter, representing more than 18,000 members throughout the state.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from ASCE’s statewide chapter for our proactive efforts to treat PFAS and remove it from local supplies,” said OCWD President Cathy Green. “The Yorba Linda Water District PFAS Treatment Plant is a testament of OCWD’s commitment to provide a safe, reliable water supply to its communities.”
Located at the existing YLWD headquarters in Placentia, the PFAS treatment plant became operational in December 2021. It uses an IX treatment system made of highly porous resin that acts like powerful magnets that adsorb and hold onto contaminants and can treat up to 25 million gallons per day. The plant consists of six pre-filters, 22 IX vessels, a booster pump station, and a 1000- kilowatt backup generator. The treatment process removes impurities, such as PFAS, from the water before entering the distribution system.
The YLWD PFAS Treatment Plant previously won top honors with the ASCE Orange County and ASCE Los Angeles chapters. Its project team includes OCWD, YLWD, Tetra Tech, Pacific Hydrotech Corporation, AqueoUS Vets, and Carollo Engineers.
“The YLWD treatment plant enables the district to bring all nine impacted groundwater wells back into service and increase its use of local groundwater,” said YLWD President Brett R. Barbre. “In addition to being recognized as the largest ion exchange plant in the country, we are most proud that this facility represents our commitment to provide a safe, reliable, and cost-effective water supply to our customers.”
OCWD says it is working with its impacted retailers such as YLWD to build treatment plants and restore the impacted water supply in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, which provides 85% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County. The YLWD PFAS Treatment Plant is one of 36 treatment facilities that will be online by 2024.
