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California water district acts to remove PFAS  

The East Orange County Water District is piloting advanced PFAS removal systems to protect groundwater and deliver cleaner water to its communities. 

Client

East Orange County Water District

Location

East Orange, California

Practices

Emerging ContaminantsDrinking Water

Markets

Local Government

Priorities

PFAS

Connect with an expert

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Michael Zafer PE
Project Manager

EOCWD advances PFAS treatment to restore safe groundwater supply  

When California lowered notification levels for PFAS, the East Orange County Water District (EOCWD) took immediate action to safeguard its water supply. The district shut down affected wells and partnered with CDM Smith to identify permanent solutions to bring PFAS levels down to non-detect. 

Evaluation of treatment performance 

CDM Smith led pilot studies using rapid small-scale column testing to assess PFAS removal under local groundwater conditions. 

Comparison of multiple media options  

Testing of various carbons and anion exchange resins helped determine the best-performing treatment media. 

Piloting of innovative technologies  

EOCWD is piloting advanced techniques to accelerate well restoration and water supply recovery. 

Supporting statewide PFAS action 

The project aligns with California’s PFAS response plan, supporting compliance with strict notification levels. 

The pilot facility, which ran for over 10 months, provided valuable data to guide future PFAS treatment. Through this methodical and science-driven approach, EOCWD is positioning itself to deliver one of California’s most advanced PFAS treatment systems, ensuring resilient, clean and safe drinking water for its community.  

Curious to learn more?

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.

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Michael Zafer

Project Manager

Michael is an expert in water treatment process design, operations and optimization with experience on drinking water, reuse and wastewater projects.

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