Remote Surveillance Trailer in Antelope, CA

Treatment Plant for Hexavalent Chromium added to meet new State drinking water standards

ANTELOPE, Calif., Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- California American Water is investing $6 million to construct a new treatment plant for Antelope's Fox Park Well. The project strengthens local water infrastructure and helps ensure safe, clean, and reliable drinking water and includes advanced treatment technology to remove hexavalent chromium (CrVI). The new treatment plant helps ensure compliance with California's updated drinking water standard of 10 micrograms of CrVI per liter of water (10 parts per billion), or about 10 drops of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

"This investment reflects our commitment to the communities we serve," said Charlie Wolfe, Principal Project Delivery Engineer for California American Water. "By upgrading our infrastructure now, we are helping making sure customers continue to receive safe, clean, and reliable high-quality water that meets California's high standards."

The Fox Park Well Treatment Project is part of California American Water's ongoing mission to continue investing in infrastructure and facilities. The new facility uses advanced filters to remove naturally occurring CrVI ensuring compliance with California's strict safety standards and is an important step to protect community health and shows California American Water's commitment to the communities it serves.

The project is part of a broader water quality initiative to address CrVI across Northern California. California American Water is also upgrading treatment systems at other facilities, including Antelope's Watt-Davidson Treatment Plant, Dunnigan Treatment Plant, and Parkway's Stocker and Southgate Treatment Plants.

"Projects like this are about building trust and delivering long-term value to our customers while meeting or surpassing regulatory standards," said Audie Foster, Director of Operations at California American Water's Northern Division. "We are proud to continue to make improvements that help keep life flowing for families in Antelope."

Construction is underway and expected to continue through 2027. Once complete, this facility will provide long-term reliability and peace of mind for Antelope customers.

About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

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Photos of the current wildflower bloom at several desert state parks. Left photo: Primroses in bloom at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (SP). Top right photos: Lacy phacelia (purple flowers) and coreopsis (yellow flowers) blooming at Red Rock Canyon SP. Bottom right photo: Current view from the PoppyCam live feed at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve, where the bloom season has not yet begun and is expected to start around mid-March.

What you need to know: California State Parks invites Californians and visitors from around the world to experience moderate-to-strong wildflower blooms this spring in desert state parks. Visitors are encouraged to safely enjoy this natural phenomenon and are reminded to keep the “Beauty in the Bloom” by staying on designated trails and taking only photos, not flowers.

SACRAMENTO — Pollinators and anthophiles unite! This spring, California State Parks expects a moderate-to-strong wildflower bloom across desert state parks, thanks to widespread rainfall during the fall and winter. The desert landscape is beginning to burst with color in parks such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (SP) and Red Rock Canyon SP, with additional parks expected to display vibrant blooms in the weeks and months ahead.

State Parks reminds visitors to enjoy these seasonal displays responsibly and safely and that it is against the law to pick wildflowers in state parks.

Detailed information and updates, in Spanish and English, on this year’s potential wildflower blooms, park rules and media resources can be found at parks.ca.gov/WildflowerBloom.

Recreate Responsibly: Tips for Visiting Wildflower Areas

State Parks encourages visitors to plan ahead and explore safely and responsibly, particularly in desert state parks where landscapes can change after storms, cell service may be limited, and temperatures can vary widely.

For more desert parks wildflower blooms safety tips, click here.

California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.