Physical & aggregate · 2026
Color in City of Hayward, CA tap water
City of Hayward, CA's 2026 Color measurement is below the federal limit of 15 UNITS (MCL).
The measurement
| Statistic | Value | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
Highest single sample Source water | 10 UNITS | 15 UNITS MCL |
Average Source water | 3.5 UNITS | 15 UNITS MCL |
Verbatim from City of Hayward, CA's 2026 Consumer Confidence Report — source document ↗
About Color
A measure of visible tint in the water.
Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard.
How City of Hayward, CA compares
5 of the 196 systems measuring Color on The Water Map have it at or above the federal limit:
Nearby systems also reporting Color:
People also ask
+Is there Color in City of Hayward, CA tap water?
Yes — City of Hayward, CA's 2026 Consumer Confidence Report lists Color at 3.5 UNITS. City of Hayward, CA's 2026 Color measurement is below the federal limit of 15 UNITS (MCL).
+What's the federal limit for Color in drinking water?
The federal MCL for Color is 15 UNITS. The EPA enforces this against the regulated reporting statistic (running annual average or 90th percentile), not a single-sample spike.
+What is Color?
A measure of visible tint in the water. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard.
+Which other U.S. cities have Color over the federal limit?
5 of the 196 systems on The Water Map measuring Color report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include City of Vallejo, CA, City of Fairfield, CA, City of Vallejo, CA.
+Where does this Color measurement come from?
This page reproduces the Color entry from the 2026 Consumer Confidence Report published by the City of Hayward, CA water utility — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived at /water/ca/hayward/2026/source.