▼

Questions from Community Workshop #1 (National City) on February 3, 2025

Show All Answers

1. What are the known effects of having PFAs in your water?

Current scientific research suggests that exposure to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health outcomes. However, research is still ongoing to determine how different levels of exposure to different PFAS can lead to a variety of health effects. Research is also underway to better understand the health effects associated with low levels of exposure to PFAS over long periods of time, especially in children. Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to: 

• Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women. 
• Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes. 
• Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. 
• Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response. 
• Interference with the body’s natural hormones. 
• Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.

*Source Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website 

2. We have several sources of water in Sweetwater Authority service area: the reservoirs, the wells, and the desal plant? Are they all affected by this?

No, this presentation specifically refers to the treated water from Sweetwater Reservoir. Under UCMR 5, Sweetwater Authority is required to sample the “entry point” to the distribution system from each of our water treatment facilities because that’s the treated water that is being delivered directly to the public.  Sweetwater Authority operates three water treatment facilities, and the data presented tonight was specific for the Perdue Water Treatment Plant located in Spring Valley.  The Perdue Water Treatment Plant   treats 100% water from the Sweetwater Reservoir. Sweetwater Authority also has two groundwater sources: the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility and our National City wells in northern National City. Those facilities are also required to be monitored at the entry point to the distribution system. PFAS has not been detected at the entry point to the distribution system on those sources. This is specifically for the Perdue Water Treatment Plant. 

3. What is the source of water for customers in National City?

Primarily, National City customers receive their water from the Richard A. Reynolds Desalination Facility and the National City wells.  However,  National City does receive water from the Perdue Water Treatment Plant during repairs of either Richard A. Reynolds Desalination Facility and the National City wells. 

4. Are the National City groundwater wells affected by PFAS?

No, PFAS has not been detected at the National City groundwater wells. There’s also no treatment for PFAS at the National City wells either so, if it was found in the raw groundwater, that could be an issue. Under the monitoring orders we’ve been following from the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) since 2019, we have found PFAS in our “San Diego formation models”, which are more of our brackish or saltier groundwater wells that are treated at the Richard A. Reynolds Desalination Facility. Sweetwater Authority is able to remove the PFAS to non-detectable levels at the facility through reverse osmosis.

5. If National City’s main sources of water (Richard A. Reynolds and National City wells) aren’t impacted by PFAS, why is Sweetwater Authority is addressing this across our service area?

While the primary sources of water for customers in National City aren’t impacted by PFAS, there are times when customers receive water from Sweetwater Reservoir, including algae blooms, operational maintenance, etc.

6. How did we conduct outreach to residents to let them know about PFAS education and these meetings?

Sweetwater Authority conducted outreach to customers by including information about PFAS education and the series of community workshops through customer’s water bills.  The information was also shared through Sweetwater Authority’s owned communication channels (eblasts, social media, news articles) and media contacts.  We also conducted targeted outreach to key stakeholders, including the school districts in the service area (Sweetwater Union High School, Chula Vista Elementary School and National School Districts), as well as the City of National, City of Chula Vista and County of San Diego (District 1 Office and County Communications Office) asking them to share through their communications channels to broaden engagement efforts. Sweetwater Authority has also posted the workshop presentation and videos of the presentation (presentation only) to the PFAS education webpage and sharing through Sweetwater Authority’s owned communication channels and through the key stakeholders referenced above to ensure those not able to attend a workshop could still receive PFAS education materials.

7. I want to ensure National City and South County residents stay informed. I'm concerned about long-term costs. Will Sweetwater Authority maintain monitoring if EPA funding ends?

At this time, there is no indication that the EPA will rescind the National Primary Drinking Water Standard. Sweetwater Authority is continuing to monitor the political landscape and opportunities for securing available local, state and federal funding to resolve this issue.

8. When and where can we view the video of tonight’s meeting and the presentation tonight?

Sweetwater Authority has established a dedicated webpage, www.sweetwater.org/PFAS. The workshop presentation and videos of the presentation (presentation only) have been posted on the PFAS education page. We also have a dedicated phone and email, where if anyone has questions. This team monitors and prepares responses to the public within 48 working hours.

9. Are you still planning to post a list of questions/answers from each community workshop on the PFAS webpage?

Yes. The questions from the Jan. 28, 2025, Community Advisory Work Group meeting are already available on the PFAS education webpage. We will continue to do the same for each community workshop. 

10. Is there a map that shows where water treated from Sweetwater Reservoir is delivered to customers’ tap under normal operating conditions?

We don’t have a recent hydraulic model. Generally speaking, Sweetwater Authority serves Bonita, National City and western Chula Vista. The Perdue Water Treatment Plant located in Spring Valley, is the start of our water system. From Perdue, the water flows by gravity down through the Bonita Valley and then is pumped up to the tanks at the top of the hill and then by gravity flows into Bonita and portions of National City and Chula Vista. The Bonita community receives water exclusively from the Perdue Water Treatment Plant. Water from Perdue that’s flowing into National City or Chula Vista, is either exclusively groundwater or a mixture of surface water and groundwater sources.

11. Is National City drinking water free from PFAS?

There could be a mixture of surface water and ground water in National City, depending on seasonal demands and usage at any given time. National City does have a lot more groundwater than other areas of the system, which means it is less dependent on surface water from Perdue than other communities in the service area.

12. Sweetwater Authority to make capital improvements for long-term treatment. How would these costs be allocated? Would customers be the ones paying for this?

We’re not sure about cost allocation yet. Based on preliminary estimates, we’re likely looking at a capital investment of about $40 million for treatment facility and additional costs for ongoing operations and maintenance of the facility. As we continue to complete additional testing, we’ll be completing financial analysis for what these long-term costs would be and how they’d be administered. This could impact customers’ bills, but Sweetwater Authority would pursue all available local, state and federal grants and funding to offset those impacts.

13. When would Sweetwater Authority have a long-term solution identified?

Sweetwater Authority needs to be in compliance by April 2029. To get to that milestone, Sweetwater Authority needs to: complete a water quality study, analysis, pilot study, design, construction and permitting with the Division of Drinking Water. Concurrently, Sweetwater Authority would continue to look for partnerships and potential funding through local, state and federal elected officials.

14. What are the costs of imported water when compared to the Perdue Water Treatment Plant?

In 2025 rate schedule, rates for imported raw water purchased through the San Diego County Water Authority are priced at $1,500 per acre/foot and would still require treatment, which would add additional cost of around $50-60 per acre/foot. Perdue water is free, but treatment costs about $250 per acre/foot. To purchase imported water, we’d be looking at imported water costs that would still be millions of dollars. That is an option, but it’s an expensive one.

15. What was the most recent water rate increases for San Diego County Water Authority? 30%?

Right now, the San Diego County Water Authority rates don’t heavily impact Sweetwater Authority’s rates and water supply because we don’t purchase imported water often, only when there are events like algae blooms or maintenance when Sweetwater Authority needs to purchase additional imported water. We limit imported water purchases because it is expensive.

16. Customers might get hit with big increases in the future to address this issue.

Sweetwater Authority is dedicated to identifying long-term solutions and financial modeling for those solutions. There are new technologies being analyzed to address this issue.

17. What are the potential treatment options that Sweetwater Authority would consider for long-term removal of PFAS from the water?

There are three main advanced treatment technologies for PFAS removal in drinking water: granulated activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange resins (IX) and reverse osmosis, which are currently considered the best available technologies for PFAS removal in the water industry. The most likely candidates at Perdue would be ion exchange or granulated activated carbon.

18. How many more tests do we have?

The Q2 January 2025 testing result is one of four EPA-required quarterly testing points. The Authority will conduct two more quarterly tests in April 2025 and July 2025 to obtain a full picture of the PFAS levels in the water supply which will give the Authority information to evaluate potential solutions, how we finance, how we treat this.