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Watsonville accepts 2024 water‑quality report; Cr‑6 and PFAS compliance loom
Summary
Council accepted the 2024 water‑quality and public‑health goals report; staff warned that hexavalent chromium (Cr‑6) averages exceed California's 10 ppb MCL in several wells and outlined a $6M new well and preliminary treatment planning ahead of a 2026 compliance window.
The Watsonville City Council voted Aug. 26 to accept the city's 2024 water‑quality report, while staff warned that two emerging contaminants — hexavalent chromium (Cr‑6) and PFAS — will require near‑term action and funding.
"In calendar year 2024, we're happy to report that we meet all federal and state regulations," Water Division Manager Beau Kiser said. But he cautioned that California has set a 10 parts‑per‑billion maximum contaminant level for hexavalent chromium, and "our averages are between 12 and 20, so we are just above it." Kiser said 73% of the city's production (six of 11 wells) currently exceed that 10 ppb threshold.
The city is planning responses: Kiser said staff drilled a new well as part of the strategy — a $6 million project expected online in September 2026 funded from the water enterprise fund — and preliminary designs for treatment systems on impacted wells are underway. He said treatment will be expensive and that staff will pursue grants, loans and possible rate adjustments to cover costs.
PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) was also discussed: regulators measure PFAS in parts per trillion and California/federal limits are low. Kiser said PFAS affects two wells that account for about 10% of production; compliance deadlines for PFAS are later (the staff cited 2031), and options include sourcing new wells or treatment.
Why it matters: Drinking‑water regulations and upcoming MCLs for Cr‑6 and PFAS may require capital projects, grant applications, and rate implications for customers; the city said it will submit a compliance plan to the state by October and expects to return to council with treatment‑design details.
Key technical points
• Lead and copper: The city reported zero lead service lines in its system; lead detections are limited to some older home plumbing and are addressed in sampling programs.
• Total coliform: Over three years, only two positive weekly samples were recorded; repeat samples were absent, suggesting false positives and a strong routine monitoring record.
•Regulatory schedule: Cr‑6 compliance is currently set for October 2026 (staff said the state legislature may extend that deadline); PFAS compliance is expected around 2031.
Next steps: Staff said they will submit a compliance plan to California regulators in October, refine treatment designs, pursue grant and loan funding, and likely discuss rate options with council to fund required capital and operational work.
Sources: Presentation by Water Division staff at the Aug. 26 City Council meeting, including statements by Beau Kiser and Public Works Director Courtney Lindbergh.
