The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) joined Zone 7 Water Agency and local officials to celebrate the completion of a new infrastructure project that will use ion exchange technology to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), treating 6.6 million gallons of contaminated groundwater a day.
The new Stoneridge Well facility will treat groundwater for communities in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore.
Supported by a $16 million grant through DWR’s Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program, the Stoneridge Well facility opened in September and is the first of its kind in Northern California to remove harmful chemicals from the groundwater supplying the communities.
The facility uses ion exchange technology to remove PFAS, a synthetic manufacturing chemical often found in the soil, water and air. Thanks to the project, drinking water supplies in the area will increase by 16 percent, according to DWR.
This is one of 103 projects that received funding earlier this year from the second solicitation offered through the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program. In addition to providing grant funding to support implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the grant program offers assistance through the Underrepresented Community Technical Assistance program.
“The Stoneridge project will help improve both water quality and water supply reliability for the residents and businesses in the Tri-Valley,” said Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor. “The DWR grant funds will offset the local cost of this critical infrastructure upgrade, returning our most productive groundwater well to service, and effectively removing these chemicals from our water. We are deeply grateful this partnership with DWR and the funds they have provided to support our sustainable groundwater use and help us to maintain healthy and safe drinking water for our community.”
