By Mary-Justine Lanyon
With unanimous approval from the three directors present, customers of the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District will be able to apply for rebates for their purchases of filters to remove PFAS from the water at their homes.
This rebate, said General Manager Catherine Cerri, will be a one-time, one-per-residence offer of up to $100. It will be issued as a credit on the customer’s bill following the submission of a receipt. The receipt must state the filter is a certified PFAS filter.
LACSD recommends customers choose a filter certified by one of the organizations listed on the EPA fact sheet (www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-04/water-filter-fact-sheet.pdf). It should have the code NSF/ANSI53 for general filtration or NSF/ANSI58 for reverse osmosis systems.
Home water filters come in a variety of forms from a simple pitcher to those mounted in a refrigerator, under a sink, on a faucet or a whole house system.
Michael Schultz expressed support for LACSD during his public comments.
At each monthly board meeting, Operations Manager Matt Brooks gives an update on PFAS and the samples LACSD continues to take and have tested.
At the June 25 meeting, Brooks reported that they have tested the water from the five wells located in the Grass Valley area. The PFAS levels in that water, he said, “are much lower than the levels in Lake Arrowhead. Many of these samples did not contain any detectable PFAS.”
The results of the sampling are available on the district’s website, www.lakearrowheadcsd.com.
In his monthly report on water delivered, Brooks said consumption in May 2024 was up 22.8 percent when compared to May 2023 (110.31 af vs 89.87 af). He noted that there were cooler temperatures in May 2023.
Through the first five months of 2024, consumption was down slightly – 1.4 percent – over the same period in 2023. LACSD did start purchasing water from CLAWA (Crestline-Lake Arrowhead Water Agency) in May; through the first five months of 2024, they purchased 2.16 af vs none in 2023.
That drew a question from President John Wurm: “We are now buying water from CLAWA and putting it into our finished water system. Does that affect the amount of PFAS?”
The answer from Brooks was that “it brings the levels down. CLAWA has a non-detect level of PFAS.” He added LACSD is currently buying “more CLAWA water than we typically would.”
Brooks also reported that LACSD began delivering recycled water to the country club on May 20. In the past, he said, “We have delivered as early as April and as late as June (2023).”
The board approved a contract with N2W Engineering for design and construction support for a PFAS removal system.
N2W and Dudek had prepared a preliminary design report that assessed several treatment options and provided recommendations; that report is available on the district’s website. Two ion exchange treatment systems will be designed – one each at the Cedar Glen and Bernina water treatment plants.
Engineering Manager Scott Schroder said the district’s goal is “to reduce these chemicals and meet regulatory requirements and preserve public health.”
The fiscal impact of this contract will be $749,590; it will be funded by the Water Capital Improvement Fund. However, LACSD has applied for funding from the State Water Resources Control Board to offset the costs of PFAS remediation, something Lake Arrowhead resident Michael Schultz praised the district for in his public comments.
Schultz said he has been part of a group of fulltime residents doing research to see how LACSD is serving the community, noting the district’s operations have been under attack. “Our conclusion,” he told the board and staff, “is that LACSD has gone far above and beyond their duties, including applying for a $25 million grant. Our heart goes out to those who have been put under a microscope.”
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