West Basin approves groundwater extraction permits for two industrial remediation projects

West Basin approves groundwater extraction permits for two industrial remediation projectsThe district will act as a judgment-party sponsor, allowing Eni Oil & Gas and Stauffer Management Company to extract up to 50 acre-feet per year of contaminated groundwater in the West Coast Basin without impacting regional adjudicated pumping rights.

West Basin authorized the assignment of Non-Consumptive Water Use Permits (NCWUPs) to the two non-party entities for a five-year term.

Stauffer Management Company will extract up to 30 acre-feet per year for enhanced in-situ bioremediation of VOCs at a former PVC plant, and will receive a replenishment assessment exemption for reinjecting the water.

Eni Oil & Gas will extract up to 20 acre-feet per year to treat benzene and 1,4-dioxane at a former landfill, discharging the treated water to the sanitary sewer.

The Water Replenishment District (WRD) previously approved the permits, requiring West Basin to execute the final assignment agreements.

On March 16, 2026, the West Basin Municipal Water District's Water Policy & Legislation Committee authorized the assignment of Non-Consumptive Water Use Permits (NCWUPs) to Eni Oil & Gas and Stauffer Management Company, LLC, enabling two major groundwater remediation projects in Carson, California. Under the West Coast Basin Amended Judgment, non-party entities conducting regulatory-mandated groundwater cleanups must secure a judgment party to sponsor their extraction permits. This administrative arrangement allows the companies to pump groundwater for remediation purposes without debiting the region's adjudicated water rights. Following successful public hearings by the Water Replenishment District (WRD) earlier in the month, West Basin agreed to act as the sponsor and execute the necessary assignment agreements and acknowledgment letters. Stauffer Management Company will utilize its five-year permit to extract up to 30 acre-feet per year (AFY)—or 150 acre-feet over the permit term—at a former polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant. The groundwater, which is impacted by volatile organic compounds including 1,2-dichloroethane and vinyl chloride, will undergo enhanced in-situ bioremediation. Because the treated water will be amended with an electron donor and reinjected into the aquifer, Stauffer was also granted an exemption from WRD's Replenishment Assessment. Eni Oil & Gas will extract up to 20 AFY (100 acre-feet total) at the former Gardena Valley Landfill No. 5 site to address contamination from benzene, 1,4-dioxane, and dissolved arsenic. The extracted groundwater will be processed through an equalization tank and cartridge filters before being discharged to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts' sewer system. During the meeting, West Basin's Manager of Water Policy and Resources Development confirmed to the committee that staff consulted with other local permit sponsors, including the cities of Inglewood and Long Beach, and anticipates no administrative challenges or risks in facilitating the assignments. The committee unanimously recommended the board authorize the final agreements.