Your IRWD drinking water is safe from PFAS

The drinking water Irvine Ranch Water District provides to its customers is safe — meeting all quality standards set by the state and federal government. That means none of the water Irvine Ranch Water District delivers to homes, businesses and schools contains any detectable PFAS.

PFAS is a group of synthetic compounds that have been used since the 1940s in hundreds of products, including nonstick cookware, food packaging, firefighting foam, and water- and stain-resistant fabrics. Growing awareness about these nondegradable “forever chemicals,” perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), has prompted new and ongoing studies, findings, and news reports about public exposure.

In 2018 and 2020, when PFAS was discovered in some Orange County drinking water wells, several water districts, including Irvine Ranch Water District, either shut those wells down, or added effective treatment that reduces the PFAS to nondetectable levels before the water is distributed to customers.

“As a water agency, we understand people’s concerns about chemicals in our environment and their potential to contaminate water,” said General Manager Paul Cook. “That’s why IRWD regularly tests for PFAS and, when needed, installs the necessary infrastructure to remove PFAS from the water. This way, we can continue to assure our customers that the drinking water that we provide to them is safe.”

For more information, visit IRWD.com/pfas.