California Water Utilities With Highest Points Against Health-Based Drinking Water Standards

According to the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database of the Environmental Protection Agency, some of the largest utilities in California have accumulated the most violation points between April 2019 and March 2021. The database records compliance and enforcement-related information for drinking water utilities in the United States. The water quality violation scores are based on federal health-based water quality standards, as well as monitoring, reporting, and other drinking water quality requirements.

The points accrued by the utilities are based on the specific problems at each utility. Violations of health-based drinking water standards receive more points than monitoring and reporting violations, and the length of time until the violations were corrected is also taken into account. The following utilities have the highest violation points in California:

  • City of Lindsay – 90 points
  • City of Lemoore – 85 points
  • Arvin Community Services District – 65 points
  • Linda County Water District – 7 points
  • CCWD Ebbetts Pass Improvement District – 5 points
  • City of Livingston – 5 points
  • City of Sonoma – 2 points
  • City of Lathrop – 1 point
  • City of Red Bluff – 1 point
  • Walnut Park Mutual Water Company – 1 point
  • City of American Canyon – 1 point
  • Orchard Dale Water District – 1 point
  • City of San Juan Capistrano – 1 point
  • Bellflower – Somerset MWC – 1 point
  • Backman Water Company

Moreover, the ECHO database also shows the contaminants found in California above health guidelines and legal limits. Between 2014 and 2019, 152 contaminants were found in 2,913 utilities serving 39,025,000 people. The following contaminants were found above health guidelines and legal limits:

Contaminants found above health guidelines:

Contaminants found above legal limits: