Anaheim’s groundbreaking PFAS treatment initiative: Restoring local water supply

One of APU’s earliest challenges was operator readiness. Prior to this program, Anaheim’s wells required only disinfection, leaving operators with no experience running advanced treatment systems.

APU made operator engagement a central priority. Engineers involved operations staff throughout planning, design, and construction, ensuring operators could learn the technology early and voice concerns. The DB team was required to run each treatment plant for at least one month, addressing operational issues and training staff. Detailed process control narratives and standard operating procedures helped operators build confidence before full handoff.

The design-build delivery method also fostered weekly coordination among APU, its Owner’s Advisor, the DB team, the construction manager, and plant operators. This collaborative environment helped resolve issues early and avoided costly surprises later in the project.

Overcoming pandemic-era delays and permitting challenges

Much of the program’s design work occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought severe supply-chain delays—including year-long setbacks on electrical equipment. To mitigate rising costs associated with extended reliance on imported water, APU and its consultants developed a plan to start the first two plants using existing, older electrical components until replacements arrived.

Permitting delays posed another challenge. Because the DB contractor had limited experience with the City’s permit processes, APU facilitated closer collaboration with permitting departments to improve communication and accelerate review timelines.

Space limitations at many well sites created additional obstacles. Several locations lacked sufficient room for new treatment systems, prompting the DB team to employ 3-D modeling to minimize plant footprints. APU also acquired land and easements where needed. Two sites ultimately proved infeasible, requiring APU to abandon those wells and construct replacements elsewhere.

Because many treatment facilities sit within residential areas and parks, APU prioritized community outreach. Staff went door to door to hear concerns, hosted public meetings, and offered a 24-hour construction hotline. Despite the scale of the work, APU reported minimal issues thanks to proactive communication and coordination.

“Managing the construction and commissioning of nine PFAS treatment plants with a capacity of 72 MGD, and maintaining regulatory compliance and daily operations for 348,000 customers, in such a short period of time, was challenging and exhilarating at the same time,” said Divya Agrawalla, principal civil engineer, Anaheim Public Utilities

A model for PFAS treatment nationwide

Today, Anaheim’s PFAS treatment program is restoring the city’s local groundwater supply while setting a national benchmark for rapid, large-scale PFAS response. The first four treatment plants are online, and future phases are moving forward.

The program is already being viewed as a model—both for its technical success and for the collaboration that made it possible. Through careful planning, operator engagement, community outreach, and adaptive problem-solving, APU has built one of the nation’s most ambitious PFAS treatment systems and restored a critical, cost-effective water source for its residents.