Well 56 and 57 PFAS Pilot Study
Summary
SCH Number
2026070381
Public Agency
Eastern Municipal Water District
(EMWD)
Document Title
Well 56 and 57 PFAS Pilot Study
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/10/2026
Document Description
Wells 56 and 57 are two Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) wells that are currently out of service due to elevated levels of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Well 59 is another EMWD well that has been removed from service. However, it has been undergoing granular active carbon (GAC) treatment since 2021 in efforts of testing the efficiency of GAC for removing PFAS. The proposed project would consist of pilot testing at Well 59 to evaluate side-by-side comparison of GAC and ion exchange (IX) resin media performance. The media change out frequency would also be evaluated, as it would impact operation and maintenance costs. Well 59 was selected as the project site because it has similar water quality to Well 56 and 57, has a continuous stream, and results will inform the design process for treatment of PFAS at all three wells. Beneficiaries of the project are EMWD ratepayers.
Contact Information
Name
Martha Vilchis
Agency Name
Eastern Municipal Water District
Job Title
Water Resources Specialist Assistant I
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Address
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Perris
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Citywide, Countywide, Southern California
Cross Streets
Corner between Indian Avenue and Nance Street
Zip
92571
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Art. 18, Sec. 15262
Reasons for Exemption
This class of exemption covers feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions which EMWD has not approved, adopted, or funded but require the consideration of environmental factors. The proposed project is intended to inform process design and assess different types of treatment media for the removal of PFAS from water extracted from wells.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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