Our February 19 webinar on “Water Quality Matters” is now available for viewing! This sixth installment of our What Matters webinar series featured an expert panel discussing the presence of PFAS in U.S. drinking water, including Southern California. PFAS is a family of more than 4,000 chemical compounds found in most products we use in our daily lives.
Nearly 500 people registered for the event to hear from scientists, city and water officials and others to learn how the region and the state are addressing contamination as well as exploring alternatives to these chemicals to protect future water supplies. Our panel included:
- Robert Beste, Assistant General Manager, Water Replenishment District of Southern California
- Steven Carmona, City Manager, City of Pico Rivera, California
- Jason Dadakis, Executive Director, Water Quality and Technical Resources, Orange County Water District
- Scott Grieco, P.E. Ph.D., Global Technology Leader, Jacobs
- Craig Miller, General Manager, Western Municipal Water District
- Dan Newton, California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water
- Steve Tedesco, Senior Vice President, Tetra Tech
Interested in more resources? Here are some PFAS resources we shared during the webinar:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PFAS webpages
- USEPA also links to PFAS information state by state
- California State Water Boards PFAS webpages
- Orange County Water District webpage on addressing PFOA/PFOS
- Water Replenishment District of Southern California PFAS information webpage
- Western Municipal Water District Understanding PFOS and PFOA webpage
You may also want to check out these files from the webinar:
We got terrific feedback from our participants as well. Here’s a sample:
“Absolutely essential information shared by experts in the field.” Olga Krel, Engineer, City of Los Angeles, Public Works, Sanitation and Environment
“Great webinar hosting a wide range of topics concerning PFAS. Plenty of great questions were answered, and panelists were not afraid to explain the uncertainties of this problem as a whole. That is the kind of honesty we need when considering creating new regulations going forward!” Jake Boehmer, LabTech Inc.
“SCWC facilitates very relevant and timely forums and a format minus the ‘frills.'” Bill Moorhead P.E., Moulton Niguel Water District Director
- Jacobs
- SL Environmental Group
- Tetra Tech
- AqueoUS Vets
- Black & Veatch
- Calgon Carbon Corporation
- CDM Smith
- HDR
- Pacific Hydro
- Stantec
- County of San Bernardino
- Inland Empire Utilities Agency
- Irvine Ranch Water District
- Los Angeles County Public Works
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
- West Basin Municipal Water District
The What Matters webinars are an example of how SCWC pursues its responsibility to be the knowledgeable voice for Southern California on water issues. Once coronavirus health precautions are lifted, the SCWC looks forward to in-person events as well as online events to further discussions to solve the state’s water problems.