Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, announced a new federal investment project to bring cleaner water to the Santa Clarita Valley on Monday morning at an SCV Water Agency per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances treatment facility in Canyon Country.
The project is to increase the water agency’s capacity to help remove PFAS chemicals, or “forever chemicals” from local underground water supplies.
Plans for the project began about a little over a year ago, Whitesides said and added it was one of his highest priorities when he was sworn into office.
“Water is so important to everything we do in the Santa Clarita Valley, and it is our great team effort to win this grant,” Whitesides said during the announcement at the agency’s Santa Clara and Honby Wells PFAS Groundwater Treatment Facility. “PFAS is a really important challenge that we’re dealing with in the Santa Clarita Valley. And this will be a really important step towards helping to make families be safer as they consume their water.”
He added that he works closely with the water agency’s leaders and knew that they prioritized this cause, so he wanted to be responsive to the needs of the community.
“At the end of the day, I think about my family and my kids. We want our family members to be drinking safe water. And clean water. And we have great water in the Santa Clarita Valley,” Whitesides said. “We have a great water agency, and this is just going to support their efforts to make sure that all the families in Santa Clarita are drinking great, clean water.”
Gary Martin, board vice president for the SCV Water Agency, said he and Whitesides met in June in Washington, D.C., to get the grant effort going.
“He and I made it very clear that we need the support from the federal government on these very expensive capital projects. And so, we’re very grateful for the $1.1 million that he provided, he provided for this project,” Martin said. “And it’s going to reduce the burden on our way.”
During the morning, Whitesides also toured some of the agency’s facilities before he presented the check.
“PFAS chemicals can cause major health problems if left untreated. The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency serves close to 291,000 residents through around 76,800 connection points. The funding will help restore 4 to 6% of the annual drinking water supply, meaning more clean water will be available to the Santa Clarita Valley,” according to a news release sent out on Monday afternoon from Whitesides’ office.
