Foothills Sentry - October 2024

Page 17 Foothills Sentry OCTOBER 2024 Foothills Sentry HALF PG 10˝ x 8˝| Newspaper Ad | Option 2 ORANGE Visit SunriseOrangeCA.com to view our floor plans and photo gallery. 1301 E Lincoln Ave, Orange, CA 92865 Assisted Living | Memory Care © 2023 Sunrise Senior Living WELCOME TO SUNRISE Senior Living Is More Vibrant in Orange Call 714-409-9363 to book a tour today. Experience an unparalleled lifestyle personally tailored to you at Sunrise of Orange. Discover maintenance-free senior living that focuses on enjoying every moment with friends and neighbors and engaging in activities you’re passionate about. Come tour our elegant interiors and curated selection of amenities, guided by our team of caring professionals. We’d love to get to know you and walk you through our personalized care approach. • Personalized assisted living and memory care services • Contemporary studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites • Sip, savor, and socialize in the bistro • Captivating social, educational and cultural activity calendar • Inspired menus with fresh seasonal ingredients crafted by our in-house culinary team 58720480-029-SSL_Orange_Evergreen_Half-Page-Ads_hz6.indd 4 9/26/23 4:13 PM EOCWD opens new well and PFAS facility The East Orange County Water District (EOCWD) reintroduced ground water to its system with the opening of a new well and a PFAS treatment plant in a ribbon- cutting ceremony, Sept. 19. EOCWD, which services 12,010 retail customers and wholesales the resource to other water agencies, stopped distribut- ing ground water ahead of tests indicating the presence of PFAS in its wells. It has since relied on more expensive imported water to supply its customers. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoro- alkyl (PFAS) substances are man- made chemicals used in a variety of industrial and consumer prod- ucts that are harmful to human health. Testing guidelines estab- lished by the state require PFAS levels not exceed 6.5 parts per trillion. Wells testing at 10 parts per trillion must be taken out of service. The Orange County Wa- ter District has, since 2021, col- laborated with local water agen- cies to build treatment plants that remove PFAS compounds from groundwater. The EOCWD treatment plant was constructed in conjunc- tion with a new well drilled on McPherson Road, across the street from the district’s headquarters. EOCWD’s new well is named after Bill VanderWerff, center, who served on the Board of Directors from 1983 to 2015 and was instrumental in its policies, investment strategies, management and planning. He knows the water system inside and out, and used his knowledge to ensure the district ran in a cost-efficient manner, sustainable and well maintained. VanderWerff is flanked by his daughter Cynthia, left, and EOCWD Di- rector John Sears. The new PFAS treatment plant will enable EOCWD to provide clean ground water to its retail and wholesale customers. The district had been relying on higher-cost imported water since PFAS was detected in wells drawing from the groundwater basin. The PFAS facility was paid for by the East Orange Water District, which manages the groundwater, and is working with OC water producers to develop treatment plants for the wells impacted by the hard-to-detect carcinogen. OCWD plans to re- coup the costs of those plants via litigation against responsible polluters. EOCWD Board President Doug Davert, right, cuts the ribbon as Directors Marilyn Thoms and George Murdoch look on. The ribbon-cutting ceremony gave EOCWD an opportunity to show off its new building, completed in April. The new facility replaces a double- wide trailer that had served as district headquarters since 1985. The new facility boasts office space for district staff, a boardroom, confer- ence room and, unlike the trailer, more than one restroom. Silvia Prado, EOCWD office man- ager, at home in her new office space. Photos by Tony Richards