California American Water has awarded Covenant Technical Solutions (CTS) a contract to deliver a progressive design-build system for removing hexavalent chromium from multiple well sites across Southern California. The project will help the utility comply with California’s new maximum contaminant level regulation, which took effect in October 2024 and requires full compliance by October 1, 2026.
CTS began work in March 2025 and will evaluate site-specific water quality to determine optimal treatment methods. The firm is partnering with Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering as engineer of record and Hazen & Sawyer as technical advisor.
Hexavalent chromium is a toxic form of the element chromium, commonly found in industrial processes like metal plating, leather tanning, and wood preservation. Studies have linked long-term ingestion of hexavalent chromium to various health issues, including cancer. California is the first state in the US to establish a specific MCL for hexavalent chromium in drinking water.