The City of Corona is a diverse, vibrant community of more than 160,000 residents in northwestern Riverside County, in Southern California. The City depends on its own groundwater wells and purchased water from the Colorado River and the State Water Project’s California Aqueduct to deliver nearly 10 billion gallons of drinking water annually to residents and businesses. In addition to water treatment, the City utilizes a robust blending program, combining water from its various sources to ensure that water delivered to local taps meets all state and federal standards. As part of the program, Water Operations staff conduct daily sampling and carefully track contaminant detections, often going above and beyond regulatory requirements.
The City’s water quality monitoring detected the contaminants 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in some groundwater sources. TCP is a man-made chemical that was present as an impurity in soil fumigants made exclusively by the Shell Oil and Dow Chemical Companies. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used for decades in many industrial and consumer products as well as firefighting foams. Both TCP and PFAS have been associated with an increased risk of certain cancers and other negative health effects. The City uses a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis groundwater treatment facility in combination with blending to keep PFAS and TCP levels in delivered water below regulatory limits.
With its location in arid Southern California, the City recognizes the value of potable water, using innovative strategies to stretch its limited water resources. Managing contaminant detections adds an additional layer of complexity to this process – as well as a financial burden for which the City wanted to make sure the polluting manufacturers contributed a fair share. In 2020, SL Environmental Law Group reached out to the City to offer help in holding the polluting manufacturers accountable, and the City hired the firm shortly thereafter. SL Environmental’s extensive experience in litigation over each of these contaminants was a key factor in the City’s decision to hire the firm.
In 2021, SL filed separate lawsuits on behalf of the City of Corona against the manufacturers of the products containing both TCP and PFAS. The legal process can be complex for large, sophisticated water systems like Corona's, but SL Environmental’s breadth of knowledge and experience with TCP cases in the same geographical region, along with the City’s deep understanding of its water system and contamination impacts, simplified the experience. The TCP case was filed in the Central District of California, where SL Environmental had previously filed successful TCP cases for other water systems, and was confident in its ability to move the case along quickly. The firm prepared comprehensive documentation of the harm manufacturers had caused and carefully prepared City employees for their depositions, making sure that the serious financial impacts facing the City from the presence of TCP came through loud and clear.
Simultaneously, SL Environmental was also litigating the City’s claim against the PFAS manufacturers. Unlike many municipalities and water systems impacted by PFAS contamination, the City of Corona is located near a 3M manufacturing facility. At the time of filing, it was uncommon for entities with an industrial contamination point source to join the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Multidistrict Litigation (AFFF MDL), a consolidated group of claims that helps streamline the legal process. Instead, SL Environmental initially filed the case in the state court system, where 3M pushed back heavily against the City. SL helped guide the City through the tough legal battle, refusing to back down.
Later, when the AFFF MDL expanded to include various types of PFAS contamination claims, SL Environmental helped the City of Corona transfer its case so it could benefit from the combined litigation efforts of many other entities - over 280 of which were also represented by the firm. SL Environmental applied the knowledge and experience it gained from helping other water systems in the AFFF MDL to maximize the City’s recovery.
In September 2022, the City of Corona reached a settlement with the companies responsible for TCP contamination. City staff noted that SL Environmental had relieved them of the stress, preparation, and hard work of litigation, resulting in an easier journey from filing to settlement.
In 2023, when litigation in the AFFF MDL led to class action settlements between PFAS manufacturers and water providers nationwide, SL Environmental and the City of Corona ultimately decided that participation in those settlements was best for the City and its residents. SL Environmental then worked tirelessly with the City to assemble all of the necessary data and documentation to maximize its claims under those settlements. In summer 2025, the City of Corona received the first payment of the 3M PFAS drinking water settlement, with significant additional disbursements to be delivered over the coming months and beyond, for an anticipated total recovery of more than $21 million from 3M alone. The City also expects to recover additional funds from settlements with other PFAS manufacturers.
Moving forward, the City of Corona plans to construct granular activated carbon (GAC) groundwater treatment facilities to remove both PFAS and 1,2,3-TCP from more of its wells. This project will ensure a continued supply of high-quality drinking water to Corona’s growing population.
*The results described in this testimonial were dependent on the facts of that particular case. Results vary and are not guaranteed.
“Our city’s proactive decision to file claims against both 1,2,3-TCP and PFAS manufacturers paid off, providing tens of millions in supplemental funding that we can allocate where our community needs it most. In pursuing legal action, we also sent a powerful message to large chemical manufacturers: No one has the right to pollute our water.”
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