# Cal-am Water Coronado — Imperial Beach, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

> Contaminant levels for the Cal-am Water Coronado — Imperial Beach, Ca, CA public water system from its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/cal-am-water-coronado-imperial-beach-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/cal-am-water-coronado-imperial-beach-ca/2023
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2023
- Contaminants measured: 13
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 8
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 3.8 mg/L (Range) | City of San Diego's Distribution System | 4 mg/L (MRDLG) | Approaching the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 18.1 ug/L (Running annual avg) | Coronado Distribution System | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 55 ug/L (Running annual avg) | Coronado Distribution System | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.7 mg/L (Average) | City of San Diego's Alvarado & Otay WTPs | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0.75 mg/L (Average) | City of San Diego's Alvarado & Otay WTPs | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.78 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0.3 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 2 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0.2 ug/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 36 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 0 (Highest single sample) | No. of Samples | 0 (MCLG) | None detected |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 0 (Highest single sample) | No. of Samples | 0 (MCLG) | None detected |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.15 NTU (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 2.25 pCi/L (Average) | City of San Diego's Alvarado & Otay WTPs | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 1.7 (Average) | City of San Diego's Alvarado & Otay WTPs | 20 (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Lithium** — A naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. No enforceable federal limit; on the EPA contaminant candidate list for further study.
- **Escherichia coli (E. coli)** — Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. Its presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination and a real risk of waterborne illness.
- **Total Coliform** — A group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence signals that disease-causing organisms could enter the system.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.
- **Gross Beta Particle Activity** — Gross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal screening level increases cancer risk.
- **Uranium** — A naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the kidneys and increase cancer risk.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-06-04 from thewatermap.com._