JBWD holding special meeting to discuss Chromium-6 water treatment methods and costs

There are two items on the agenda: a workshop on treating Hexavalent Chromium (also referred to as Chromium-6) and the financial planning that is needed for the project.

Hexavalent Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, plants, and groundwater. It’s also a result from industrial processes.

In October of 2024 the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) set a new standard for how much of this heavy metal can occur in drinking water. The federal standard is 100 parts-ber-billion (PPB).

Joshua Basin Water District released an information page on the heavy metal where they compare a “part-per-billion” to a single drop of water in an Olympic sized swimming pool, or a pinch of salt on a ton of potato chips.

The standard in California was half of the federal level: 50 PPB and Joshua Basin Water District’s levels were less than half of the old standard, coming in at around 23 PPB in January of 2026. 

However, California’s new regulation has dropped that standard even further to just 10 PPB.

That new regulatory threshold will mean that the Joshua Basin Water District will need to explore options to begin treating the water and reduce the Hexavalent Chromium levels even further.

How will Joshua Basin Water District do that and how will it affect your water and your water bill? You can attend the special meeting this Thursday at 9:00 a.m. at the Joshua Basin Water District offices located at 61750 Chollita Road.

You can view the full agenda here (PDF link)

You can also attend the meeting remotely via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86448003304?pwd=BReQSGLDAsbiwlwa7CRPD3kz414Bhi.1