City Council

8. PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS - EVALUATION OF CITY'S WATER SYSTEM WATER\n4\nQUALITY\nIn September of 2020, the State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water\n(SWRCB-DDW) required the City of Bell Gardens to collect quarterly samples for a series of 18\ndifferent per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), under General Order No. DW2020-\n0003-DDW. On September 10, 2021, the City turned off the City water system’s only operating\nwell #1 due to the exceedances of the Response Levels for PFOA. With the well turned off, the\nCity water system is utilizing Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) at a much\nhigher cost. The City's engineering firm began well inspection, well profiling and an evaluation of\nthe options available to the City to improve the water quality of the well to comply with regulations\nand requirements to get the well back into production. The Water Quality Improvement\nEngineering Study has been completed and based on all options, Ion Exchange PFAS treatment\nis the most viable option to consider. If the City began the Ion exchange treatment design in July\n2023, it is estimated that Well 1 and its new treatment plant will be operational by December 2026.\nRecommendation:\nIt is recommended that the City Council by motion:\n1. Receive and file the report regarding the City’s Water Quality Improvement Engineering\nStudy containing evaluated options to restore the well to operation and explore alternative\ngroundwater sources;\n2. Authorize staff to issue a Request for Services (RFS) to Infrastructure Engineers to initiate\nand complete the design of the Ion Exchange PFAS Treatment Plant, upon the State Water\nBoard approving the City’s requested grant amendment or City appropriating necessary\nfunding; and\n3. Authorize staff to issue a Request for Services (RFS) to Infrastructure Engineers to initiate\nthe Prop 218 study for a new water rate adjustment in FY 24-25, upon State Water Board\napproving the City’s requested grant amendment or City appropriating necessary funding.