LADWP completed construction of 25 groundwater monitoring wells in various areas of the easterly portion of the San Fernando Valley. These new wells, along with a network of more than 70 existing wells, are being used to characterize the basin’s groundwater quality and develop a complex of comprehensive groundwater remediation facilities for removing contamination from the city’s major well fields in the San Fernando Basin.
Water samples are collected from the monitoring wells to analyze the contamination in the underground water supply and determine the nature and extent of the pollution. The location of each well was selected to measure water quality along specific groundwater flow paths which lead toward water supply wells in nearby LADWP well fields. The monitoring wells are used for water testing only and are not used to supply water to LADWP customers.
The Groundwater System Improvement Study (GSIS) will ultimately result in projects which will remove contamination from the groundwater basin for the betterment of the environment. This will also allow the LADWP to reduce the city’s reliance on imported water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District and provide the Los Angeles with a more stable and reliable source of water.
LADWP completed the groundwater characterization study in 2015, and is reviewing the findings with the State Water Resources Control Board-Division of Drinking Water (SWRCB-DDW). LADWP is working with the SWRCB-DDW to gain approval to start the design and permitting, and begin construction on groundwater treatment facilities. These will be designed to remove contamination from the local groundwater basin to protect the environment and the public.
Completed Wells
Street names indicate the intersection closest to the well site.
NH-MW-05: Hamlin Street & Goodland Avenue
NH-MW-06: St. Clair Avenue & Hart Street
NH-MW-07: Greenbush Avenue & Bessemer Street
NH-MW-08: Lennox Avenue & Vanowen Street
NH-MW-09: Tyrone Avenue & Saticoy Street
NH-MW-10: Stagg Street & Broadleaf Avenue
NH-MW-11: Bellingham Avenue & Vanowen Street
RT-MW-01: Beeman Avenue & Blythe Street
RT-MW-02: Cantara Street & Wilkinson Avenue
RT-MW-03: Teasdale Avenue & Cantara Street
RT-MW-04: Vantage Avenue & Stagg Street
RT-MW-05: Laurelgrove Avenue & Stagg Street
RT-MW-07: Webb Avenue & Lankershim Boulevard
RT-MW-06: Whitsett Avenue & Saticoy Street
RT-MW-09: Varna Avenue & Strathern Street
RT-MW-08: Wicks Street & Remick Avenue
RT-MW-10: Montague Street & Snowden Avenue
TJ-MW-06: Stanwin Avenue & Wentworth Street
TJ-MW-07: Laurel Canyon Boulevard & Tonopah Street
TJ-MW-08: Gullo Avenue & Chase Street
TJ-MW-10: Braken Street & Lev Avenue
TJ-MW-11: Sharp Avenue & Bromwich Street
TJ-MW-12: Amboy Avenue & Pierce Street
TJ-MW-13: Glamis Avenue & Vena Street
TJ-MW-14: Correnti Street & Hadden Avenue
Installation of Additional Monitoring Wells
GSIS provided useful information in understanding the SFB, but the LADWP needs to install additional monitoring wells to fill in data gaps. A list of future monitoring wells is below.
- Tujunga Well Field – Two monitoring wells (MWs)
- Pollock Well Field – Three MWs
- Headworks Well Field – Four MWs
These monitoring wells will be drilled to determine the nature and extent of the pollution, in areas of the SFB not covered by the GSIS wells.
Additional monitoring wells outside of the SFB will also be drilled to assist in characterizing the groundwater contamination in the Sylmar and Central basins.
Mission Well Field – Two MWs
Manhattan Well Field – Three MWs
The groundwater quality data collected will characterize the extent of trichloroethylene (TCE),1,4-Dioxane, and other contaminants of concern. Water samples collected from the monitoring wells will be used to assist the LADWP in developing state-of-the-art groundwater basin remediation facilities. The monitoring wells are for water testing only and are not used to supply water to LADWP customers. For more information, please go to Groundwater Remediation.