# Hawthorne-city Water Dept. — San Jose, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2021)

> Contaminant levels for the Hawthorne-city Water Dept. — San Jose, Ca, CA public water system from its 2021 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/hawthorne-city-water-dept-san-jose-ca/2021
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/hawthorne-city-water-dept-san-jose-ca/2021
- 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: 2021
- Contaminants measured: 27
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 9
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorate | Disinfection byproducts | 165.5 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | 800 ug/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 15 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| HAA9 | Disinfection byproducts | 22 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 42 ug/L (Average) | Distribution System-Wide Highest Annual | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.7 mg/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 109 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 1.2 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.053 mg/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Boron | Metals | 0.26 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | 1 mg/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 58 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Copper | Metals | Not detected mg/L (90th percentile) | Distribution System-Wide | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | None detected |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | Distribution System-Wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Magnesium | Metals | 23 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Potassium | Metals | 8.8 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 89 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Vanadium | Metals | 3.1 ug/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | 50 ug/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 0 (Maximum) | Distribution System-Wide Highest Monthly | No federal limit | None detected |
| Chlorine Total | Other | 1.9 mg/L (Average) | Distribution System-Wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Perfluoropentanoic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 1 ng/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 260 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 236 mg/L (Average) | Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 8.2 (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.95 mg/L (Average) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.05 NTU (Maximum) | West Basin MWD | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | Not detected pCi/L (Average) | West Basin MWD2 | 0.019 pCi/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 3 pCi/L (Average) | West Basin MWD2 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 1 pCi/L (Average) | West Basin MWD2 | 20 pCi/L (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorate** — A byproduct that can form during disinfection, especially when hypochlorite solutions degrade. Has no enforceable federal limit but is on the EPA contaminant candidate list; high levels can affect the thyroid.
- **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.
- **Aluminum** — A common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels can discolor water.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Boron** — A naturally occurring element from rock and soil. No enforceable federal limit; the EPA has issued a health advisory level.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **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.
- **Magnesium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Potassium** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. Not federally regulated for health.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **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.
- **Perfluoropentanoic acid** — Perfluoropentanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **Alkalinity** — A measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. Not federally regulated for health; relevant to corrosion control and treatment.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **pH** — A measure of how acidic or basic the water is. Regulated only as a secondary standard; very low or high pH can corrode pipes or affect taste.
- **TOC** — Total organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. Not harmful itself, but it is the raw material that forms disinfection byproducts; removal is a treatment requirement.
- **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.
- **Combined Radium** — Combined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases the risk of bone cancer.
- **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._