Jurupa Community Services District Secures More Than $12.4M From Historic PFAS Settlement

The Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) announces that it has secured more than $12.4M through the landmark national settlement with 3M over PFAS contamination in drinking water. JCSD recently received its first disbursement, with additional funds expected in the months ahead.

JCSD has been at the forefront of addressing PFAS contamination, having proactively tested for the chemicals well before state mandates, funding, or other regulations were established. PFAS led to significant operational challenges, with JCSD taking an unprecedented 60% of its water production capacity offline. In response, JCSD implemented innovative new treatment processes, engaged in strategic water blending, and formed collaborative agreements with neighboring agencies.

While JCSD is unable to recover all the production lost due to PFAS, it has been able to safeguard public health and ensure the continuation of safe water services through these actions. The settlement funds will be reinvested in overall water quality improvements, ensuring that the costs of contamination fall on the manufacturers and not local customers.

“Protecting the health and safety of our residents is, and always will be, JCSD’s highest priority,” said JCSD General Manager Chris Berch. “This settlement will help ease the financial burden of protecting our community’s drinking water supply and reduce future costs for our ratepayers.”

PFAS are manufactured toxic chemicals that bioaccumulate when released into the environment. They have been used for decades in certain aqueous film-forming foams, industrial processes, and thousands of common household and commercial products. PFAS have impacted surface water and groundwater throughout the country. In response to the contamination occurring nationwide, hundreds of suits have been brought forward by water providers, mostly against the same defendants, in an ongoing multidistrict litigation supervised by a federal judge in South Carolina.

“Our customers deserve peace of mind when they turn on the tap,” said JCSD Board President Betty Folsom. “We want them to know that their water is safe, their District is vigilant, and we are holding polluters accountable. JCSD will continue leading with transparency, innovation, and action, because protecting public health isn’t just our job, it’s our promise.”

JCSD was represented by SL Environmental Law Group, which has secured over $2B in settlements on behalf of water agencies nationwide. Ken Sansone, senior partner at SL Environmental Law Group, said, “We are honored to have helped Jurupa Community Services District in asserting its rights to ensure the quality and availability of water resources to its citizens. It is the corporations whose products are responsible for contaminating the water that should shoulder the clean-up costs.”

As a regional leader in water reliability and environmental protection, JCSD continues to advocate for stronger policies, smarter funding, and lasting solutions to address PFAS contamination and other emerging water challenges. This includes championing legislative and regulatory remedies to prevent PFAS pollution, most recently with JCSD testifying in the California State Assembly to share JCSD’s experience and push for statewide action.

About The Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD)
Founded in 1956, the Jurupa Community Services District is a public agency providing services and programs to Jurupa Valley and Eastvale. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of five elected representatives from both cities. Serving over 140,000 people in a 40-square-mile area, JCSD provides a variety of community services and programs, including water, sewer, streetlights, frontage landscape maintenance, graffiti abatement, and parks and recreation services.

About SL Environmental Law Group, P.C
SL Environmental Law Group, P.C. helps public and private agencies shift contamination costs from ratepayers to the responsible polluters through legal action. Founded in 2003, SL Environmental has helped over 400 clients, resulting in over $2B recovered in settlements and trials, including the awards from the PFAS settlements, which would have otherwise been shouldered by agencies and their taxpayers. For more information, visit www.slenvironment.com.