Fallon Franklin, a senior civil engineer in the city’s Water Resources Division, told commissioners the city is advancing multiple PFAS/PFOS treatment projects and water-production improvements intended to meet state and federal drinking water standards.

“PFOS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances ... they can persist in the environment over time,” Franklin said. She described four PFOS/PFAS projects in construction or planned: the Well 27/28 centralized treatment project (estimated cost $15,000,000; expected complete by 2027); Well 38 (estimated $7,000,000; expected complete in the first quarter of next year); Well 31 (estimated $8,600,000; expected completion in 2026); and a larger John Garthy Reservoir Station centralized facility expected to treat five wells (estimated $40,000,000) with regional funding support from the Orange County Water District and additional grant-seeking by the city.

Franklin said the wells use ion-exchange and filtration technologies designed to remove PFOS compounds and compared the facilities "like a massive Brita filter" that uses ion-exchange resin rather than household carbon filters. She added that the city has 20 active groundwater wells, seven pump stations and 10 water storage reservoirs; well rehabilitations such as Well 29 and Well 32 restore capacity and improve reliability.

Jose Medina, senior civil engineer in engineering and administration, described ongoing water-main capital projects on Bristol (including a small segment already completed and larger replacements scheduled between January and December 2026), noting the water portion of one Bristol package is finished and the street rehabilitation is scheduled for May 2026. He said typical useful life for water mains is about 40 years and that material degradation and joint failures drive replacements.

In response to questions, staff explained system resiliency: Well 32 was brought back from being offline about 20 years and can produce roughly 2,500 gallons per minute; variable-frequency drives allow wells and reservoir boosters to modulate output to match demand. Acting Water Resources Manager Armando Fernandez said the department is finalizing a customer water-usage website/app that will allow near-real-time views of consumption (staff estimated roughly 15-minute latency) and that the city will provide sign-up assistance.

What’s next: projects are at various stages—some nearing completion in 2026 and others moving toward construction next year. Staff said they will continue pursuing regional funding and grants to offset project costs and will return with further updates.