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The Zone 7 Water Agency recently received federal funding for the Chain of Lakes PFAS Treatment Facility project, which will use an ion exchange treatment process to remove the synthetic chemicals from the well’s groundwater supply, the agency said.
Zone 7 worked with congressmen Eric Swalwell and Mark DeSaulnier to secure the $957,752 federal grant that will help construct the treatment facility in Livermore, which will in turn ensure safe and reliable groundwater in the Tri-Valley, according to a March 11 press release.
“Despite the recent rain, California remains vulnerable to drought and our water supply needs to be protected. I am proud to be able to leverage federal resources to augment the work that our communities have been doing for years,” Swalwell stated in the press release. “The Chain of Lakes PFAS Treatment Facility is the stage of a committed effort to provide a safe and reliable water supply for the Tri-Valley.”
Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS chemicals, have been a growing problem in the Tri-Valley — especially in Pleasanton and Livermore — after the cities and the water agency discovered the chemicals in the groundwater wells.
More recently, the water agency opened its first, one-of-a-kind Ion Exchange PFAS Treatment Facility at the Stoneridge Well in Pleasanton to treat the groundwater there, which had been heavily contaminated with PFAS chemicals for the last few years.
Zone 7 used $16 million of grant money from the California Department of Water Resources to construct that project. At the Stoneridge facility opening, officials from the agency noted that they were ready to move on to treat the Chain of Lakes well in Livermore with the same ion treatment process, which the agency said is highly effective in removing the PFAS from the water.
On March 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 (H.R. 4366), which secured funding for several environmental projects in the Bay Area, including partial funding for the Chain of Lakes facility.
“We are incredibly appreciative to have the support of Congressman Swalwell and Congressman DeSaulnier, which allows us to implement critical projects to ensure the long-term sustainability of our groundwater basin,” Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor stated in the press release. “Groundwater Awareness Week is a time for us to celebrate the progress we’ve made with local partnerships and innovative projects as well as share resources and educate the public on how we ensure this valuable local resource is available for future generations.”
According to the water agency, construction of the Chain of Lakes facility is expected to be completed this summer.