# Malaga County Water District — Fresno, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2021)

> Contaminant levels for the Malaga County Water District — Fresno, Ca, CA public water system from its 2021 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/malaga-county-water-district-fresno-ca/2021
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/malaga-county-water-district-fresno-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: 11
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 5
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 3
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perchlorate | Disinfection byproducts | Not detected (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.1–0.14 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 2.6–5.6 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 1.6–4 (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Barium | Metals | 39 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 2022 (Highest single sample) | No. of Detections | 0 (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chromium | Other | 3.4–4.6 mg/L (Range) | System-wide | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 1 NTU (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 1.4–15 (Range) | System-wide | 15 (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| DBCP | VOCs & pesticides | 61 ng/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Perchlorate** — A chemical used in rocket fuel and fireworks that can also form during disinfection. Can interfere with thyroid hormone production; has no national enforceable limit but is regulated in some states.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **DBCP** — 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane — a banned soil fumigant pesticide. A probable human carcinogen; long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause reproductive harm.

## 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._