In the South Stockton System Groundwater Well Rehabilitation project, PCL installed wellhead treatment improvements to South Stockton System (SSS) Well No. 8. Previously placed into inactive status, Well SSS8 required rehabilitation prior to being returned to service. Wellhead treatment improvements will enable Well SSS8 to meet the average day demand and increase water portfolio resiliency in the SSS. The state-of-the-art filtration system removes contaminants and meets Federal and State regulations like the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Drinking Water Standards and requirements of California Law Assembly Bill 756, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The South Stockton System Groundwater Well project exemplifies how municipalities are proactively meeting new standards to enhance public health and safety on a larger scale.

The progressive design-build delivery model, where the engineer, project owner and contractor collaborate from the project’s outset to develop the plan, proved vital to the project’s success. One important decision resulting from the progressive design-build model was the water filtration method selected for the rehabilitated well.

Groundwater Well SSS8 is in a residential neighborhood and adjacent to a community park. The project design included improvements to enhance the neighborhood park, increase security and use technology that would work with the limited amount of land available. Ultimately, the project team chose deionization filtration, an extremely effective method that requires smaller tanks in comparison with other systems to minimize impact on the surrounding neighborhood landscape.

During the deionization process, water from the well flows into tanks filled with a positively charged resin material to attract and remove negatively charged contaminants from the water.

Through innovative engineering and a community-focused approach, PCL successfully delivered a wellhead treatment facility that enhances water quality and supports the city’s water resiliency plan.