Where does the water come from PFAS

Our region is dependent on external water sources like the Colorado River and the State Water Project.

Imported Water Sources: • Colorado River and State Water Project are the two main sources of imported water for your region, providing 65-70% of the water supply. • Colorado River is facing severe scarcity issues, with water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead at historic lows. This has led to Federal intervention and the negotiation of water use cutbacks among states, including California, which must reduce its allocation by 400,000 acre-feet per year. • State Water Project brings snowmelt runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which also faces challenges related to climate change and reduced snowpack. Local Water Sources: • Canyon Lake Reservoir provides about 12% of the local water supply. • This source has been out of commission for the last three years due to contamination from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). • The allowable PFAS level was reduced from 12 parts per trillion (PPT) to 4 PPT by the State Water Control Board, which resulted in the shutdown of the Canyon Lake Water Treatment Plant. Addressing this contamination will require treatment facilities costing an estimated $60-70 million. • Groundwater accounts for 13-15% of the supply but also suffers from PFAS contamination, requiring the construction of additional treatment plants. Regulatory Challenges: • Regulatory bodies like the State Water Control Board play a critical role in maintaining water quality by setting standards such as the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for chemicals like PFAS. • The cost of adhering to these regulations, combined with the need to secure and treat alternative water sources, contributes to the rising cost of water delivery to residents. • Opposition or misunderstandings about these complexities could potentially lead to decisions that compromise water quality, as seen in high-profile cases like Flint, Michigan. Impact on Water Scarcity: • Living in a desert region with inconsistent rainfall and frequent droughts exacerbates the problem of water scarcity. • The reliance on external water sources that require large amounts of energy to transport, coupled with shrinking supplies, creates a complex challenge for ensuring reliable, high-quality drinking water. This explanation just touches the surface of Regulatory and supply pressure on the price of water

In my next article I will address rate increases and how the high inflation we have experienced and supply chain issues during and after Covid had a devastating effect on chemicals and supplies that we have always expected to be there when we needed them. How we harnessed in the enormous pressures to raise rates and we had to dip in to reserves to stabilize rates.