What to Know about PFAS in Tri-Valley Water

The Tri-Valley region is known for its small-town feel and easy charm, but nothing is ever simple when it comes to California’s water supply.

Since 2018, Pleasanton has been grappling with a plume of groundwater contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of industrial chemicals that scientists say can accumulate in the environment and the body, with harmful effects on human health.

The city has taken its wells offline and now purchases all its water from Zone 7 Water Agency, which operates two PFAS removal treatment plants and draws a majority of its supply from surface water. Still, local residents question the safety and future of their water supply, especially as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of droughts that can cause more groundwater to be used. 

Read more about the issue in this nonfiction comic by Rain Hepting, a Tri-Valley resident and reporting fellow for KneeDeep Times.