West Basin sponsors groundwater remediation permits for Eni and Stauffer

West Basin sponsors groundwater remediation permits for Eni and StaufferThe district will act as an adjudicated party sponsor, enabling the two companies to extract and treat contaminated groundwater without debiting the region's adjudicated water rights.

West Basin authorized the assignment of Non-Consumptive Water Use Permits (NCWUPs) to Eni Oil & Gas and Stauffer Management Company.

Eni will extract up to 20 acre-feet per year to treat volatile organic compounds and arsenic at a former landfill, discharging treated water to the sewer.

Stauffer will extract up to 30 acre-feet per year to remediate VOCs at a former PVC plant, qualifying for a fee exemption by reinjecting the treated water.

The five-year permits allow non-party entities to perform regulatory-mandated cleanups under the West Coast Basin Judgment.

On April 20, 2026, the West Basin Municipal Water District's Water Policy & Legislation Committee authorized staff to execute Agreements for Assignment of Non-Consumptive Water Use Permits (NCWUPs) to Eni Oil & Gas and Stauffer Management Company, LLC. The regulatory mechanism, authorized under the West Coast Basin Judgment, allows groundwater to be extracted for remediation purposes without counting against adjudicated pumping rights. Because only recognized parties to the Judgment can petition the Water Replenishment District (WRD) for an NCWUP, West Basin is acting as a sponsor to assign the permits to the two non-party industrial firms. Eni Oil & Gas is conducting post-closure groundwater treatment at the former Gardena Valley Landfill No. 5 in Carson, California. The site's groundwater is contaminated with benzene, volatile organic compounds, 1,4-dioxane, and dissolved arsenic. Under the five-year permit, Eni is authorized to extract up to 20 acre-feet per year (AFY). The extracted water will be treated on-site and discharged into the local sanitary sewer system. Stauffer Management Company is remediating groundwater impacted by VOCs—specifically 1,2-dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, and trichloroethene—at a former polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing plant. Stauffer's permit allows for the extraction of up to 30 AFY. Because Stauffer's remediation process involves treating the groundwater and reinjecting it back into the aquifer, the company qualifies for an exemption from the WRD's Replenishment Assessment for the reinjected volumes. Following the committee's approval, West Basin staff will execute the assignment agreements and required acknowledgment letters with both companies. Once the documents are submitted to the WRD, the permits will officially go into effect for their five-year terms, ensuring the regulatory-mandated environmental cleanups can proceed.