City of Anaheim
PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
Administration
201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
M.S. #1101
Anaheim, CA 92805
TEL: 714.765.5173
www.anaheim.net
August 12, 2026
The Honorable Sheila F. Hanson
Presiding Judge of the Orange County Superior Court
Orange County Grand Jury
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Subject: 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report
PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water Dear Honorable Judge Hanson:
The City of Anaheim (Anaheim) is pleased to respond to the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water (Report) released on June 9, 2026. The responses contained in this letter were recommended by the Anaheim Public Utilities Board at its meeting on July 22, 2026, and approved by the Anaheim City Council during its regular meeting on August 11, 2026.
Anaheim recognizes and appreciates the time and effort the Orange County Grand Jury invested in engaging with various stakeholders related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impacting the Orange County Groundwater Basin, as well as the commendation contained in the Report for Anaheim’s mitigation efforts to address PFAS.
Anaheim’s responses address the Report’s findings and recommendations relevant to Anaheim in accordance with California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05.
FINDINGS:
FINDING 2:
RESPONSE: Anaheim agrees with this finding.
Anaheim recognizes that PFAS is widespread and that contamination from industrial manufacturing has been found in groundwater sources as well as consumer products and food sources. As such, water retailers alone cannot fully mitigate the impacts of PFAS. For Anaheim’s part, in addition to mitigation efforts that include groundwater treatment, educational efforts including a dedicated website and inclusion in the Consumer Confidence Orange County 2025-2026 Grand Jury Report - PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water August 12, 2026
Report are important ways to inform the public, and additional initiatives are further described in response to Finding 8.
FINDING 4:
RESPONSE: Anaheim agrees with this finding.
Anaheim agrees that the Orange County Water District (OCWD) has taken a proactive leadership role in addressing PFAS in Orange County and has done so in a collaborative manner with water retailers, regulatory agencies, and industry experts. The resulting treatment program has been systematic, coordinated, and consistent between water retailers and OCWD for the benefit of Orange County communities. The program considers affordability through a reimbursement agreement and accessing federal and state funding assistance.
FINDING 6:
RESPONSE: Anaheim agrees with this finding.
Anaheim agrees with this finding that Orange County drinking water, including that which is provided by Anaheim, meets or exceeds state and federal standards and is safe for consumption. Anaheim relies on the Orange County Groundwater Basin to supply roughly 80% of its water to Anaheim residents and businesses, and its groundwater treatment program has focused on customer safety, implementation of treatment systems, and recovering costs since 2019.
FINDING 8:
RESPONSE: Anaheim disagrees, in part, with this finding.
Anaheim cannot speak for other Orange County water retailers. Speaking for itself, Anaheim regularly engages with its customers on a variety of important issues, including water quality, groundwater treatment, water use efficiency, and affordability. Anaheim Orange County 2025-2026 Grand Jury Report - PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water August 12, 2026
maintains regularly updated online information related to a number of water quality topics.
Since 2019, Anaheim has maintained webpages dedicated to educating customers on PFAS and groundwater treatment. Anaheim has also hosted numerous water quality focused community meetings and other outreach events related to Anaheim’s Groundwater Treatment Program. A summary of these customer engagement initiatives include:
Open houses prior to starting construction of groundwater treatment plants near residences and parks;
Community meetings focused on water quality, conservation programs, and bill assistance for residential customers;
Student tours of water treatment facilities coordinated with local elementary, junior high, and high schools;
Including high school students to be part of groundwater treatment groundbreaking and dedication events;
Hosting residents, students, school superintendents, and businesses at Anaheim’s Sustainability Education Center that includes interactive displays on water sources; Hosting regional events including the OC Green Expo that is open to the general public and includes water sustainability and educational programming for local elementary students;
Hosting Water Awareness Month events open to the public and students to learn about water quality, conservation, and infrastructure;
Agendized action and informational items at Anaheim Public Utilities Board and Anaheim City Council meetings that are available to the public; A comprehensive website on a variety of water quality topics (https://www.anaheim.net/657/Water-Quality);
Posting the Annual Consumer Confidence Report on Anaheim’s website (https://www.anaheim.net/2092/Water-Quality-Report) and informing customers about the report on utility bills;
Social media posts and utility bill inserts informing customers about water quality and groundwater treatment; and
A dedicated website on PFAS (https://www.anaheim.net/3302/PFAS).
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RECOMMENDATION 2:
Orange County 2025-2026 Grand Jury Report - PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water August 12, 2026
RESPONSE: Recommendation 2 is being implemented and will be complete prior to July 1, 2029.
Anaheim is in compliance with all monitoring, analysis, and reporting required by the State Water Resources Control Board’s General Monitoring Orders and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS. Treatment systems have been installed at 9 locations, inclusive of 14 groundwater wells, as part of Anaheim’s multi-year groundwater treatment program (Phases A and B). These systems are fully operational, and the selected ion exchange technology has been effective in removing PFAS. An additional four wells at four different locations are currently being rehabilitated, and remaining treatment systems (Phase C) are in design with construction scheduled to begin in late 2026 and system operation beginning by July 1, 2029.
RECOMMENDATION 4:
RESPONSE: Recommendation 4 has been partially implemented and will be fully implemented prior to July 1, 2027.
Anaheim agrees that Orange County water retailers should maintain transparency and provide consistent messaging to customers regarding PFAS. Anaheim has consistently strived to provide transparency to its customers through its consumer confidence reports, agency website, and community outreach and education. In addition to the efforts discussed under Finding 8, Anaheim will incorporate the recommended topics in its consumer confidence reports and on its website by the stated date.
RECOMMENDATION 5:
RESPONSE: Recommendation 5 has been implemented.
Anaheim has made consistent efforts to promote drinking water safety through public outreach and education, as further described in Finding 8. Anaheim plans to continue engaging the public through in-person community events, tours, student engagement, public information, and social media to further enhance awareness and to educate customers on Anaheim’s efforts to mitigate PFAS.
Orange County 2025-2026 Grand Jury Report - PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water August 12, 2026
In summary, Anaheim appreciates the effort of the Orange County Grand Jury, including its findings and recommendations. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Craig Parker, Anaheim Public Utilities Assistant General Manager – Water Services at (714) 765-4268 or via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Brian Beelner
Acting Public Utilities General Manager
City of Anaheim