# Long Beach Utilities Department — Long Beach, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

> Contaminant levels for the Long Beach Utilities Department — Long Beach, Ca, CA public water system from its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/long-beach-utilities-department-long-beach-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/long-beach-utilities-department-long-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: 26
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 11
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 1
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDMA | Disinfection byproducts | 7.4 ng/L (Reported level) | Blended Zone (325) Ds | 3 ng/L (Public health goal) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.72 mg/L (Average) | Blended Zone (325) | 1 mg/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0.37 mg/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | 10 mg/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 94 ug/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | 600 ug/L (Public health goal) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 1.5 ug/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | 0.004 ug/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 110 ug/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | 2000 ug/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 90 ug/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | 300 ug/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Germanium | Metals | 0.5 ug/L (Average) | WTP Influent | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Lead | Metals | 90 ug/L (Average) | Blended Zone (325) | 0.2 ug/L (Public health goal) | At or above the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 22.75 ug/L (Average) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Manganese | Metals | 1.9 ug/L (Average) | WTP Effluent | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Range) | Blended Zone (325) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Range) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Average) | Blended Zone (325) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Range) | Blended Zone (325) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Range) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| PFAS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | MWD Zone (114) | No federal limit | None detected |
| PFBA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Maximum) | Blended Zone (325) | No federal limit | None detected |
| PFOA | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | Not detected ng/L (Average) | Blended Zone (325) | 4 ng/L (MCL) | None detected |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | Not detected NTU (Average) | Blended Zone (325) | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 0–5 pCi/L (Average) | MWD Zone | 0 pCi/L (Public health goal) | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 0–3 pCi/L (Average) | MWD Zone | 0.43 pCi/L (Public health goal) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Germanium** — A trace metalloid found in some source water. Not federally regulated; monitored occasionally as a trace element.
- **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.
- **Manganese** — A naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. No enforceable federal limit; high levels stain fixtures and laundry and can affect taste, with a health advisory for infants.
- **N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)** — N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid, a PFAS-related compound. Monitored under EPA rules as part of broad PFAS surveillance.
- **N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)** — N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid, a PFAS-related compound. Monitored under EPA rules as part of broad PFAS surveillance.
- **Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)** — Perfluorodecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and bioaccumulative.
- **Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)** — Perfluorododecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and bioaccumulative.
- **Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)** — Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)** — Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment.
- **Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)** — Perfluorotetradecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and bioaccumulative.
- **Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)** — Perfluorotridecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and bioaccumulative.
- **Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)** — Perfluoroundecanoic acid, a longer-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent and bioaccumulative.
- **PFBA** — Perfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Monitored under EPA rules; persistent in the environment and the human body.
- **PFOA** — Perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. Linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **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 Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit 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._