# Olivenhain MWD — Encinitas, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

> Contaminant levels for the Olivenhain MWD — Encinitas, Ca, CA public water system from its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/olivenhain-mwd-encinitas-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/olivenhain-mwd-encinitas-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: 27
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 3
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 14 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 46.2 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Chloride | Inorganic chemicals | 92 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.65 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sulfate | Inorganic chemicals | 190 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 2.2 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.11 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 58 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Lead | Metals | 90 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 46.7 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Magnesium | Metals | 22 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Potassium | Metals | 4.9 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Silica | Metals | 8.1 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 80 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | Not detected (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | Not detected (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Chlorine Total | Other | 2.26 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 106 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Color | Physical & aggregate | 2 (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 255 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Odor | Physical & aggregate | 1 (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 8.3 (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Specific Conductance | Physical & aggregate | 880 (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 2.8 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Dissolved Solids | Physical & aggregate | 530 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.058 NTU (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 1.7 pCi/L (Average) | System-wide | 20 pCi/L (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **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.
- **Chloride** — A naturally occurring salt compound. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels cause a salty taste and can corrode pipes.
- **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.
- **Sulfate** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. No health-based federal limit; high levels can have a laxative effect and a bitter taste.
- **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.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Silica** — A naturally occurring compound from sand and rock. Not federally regulated for health; relevant mainly for industrial water use.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Alkalinity** — A measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. Not federally regulated for health; relevant to corrosion control and treatment.
- **Color** — A measure of visible tint in the water. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **Odor** — A measure of detectable smell in the water. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard.
- **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.
- **Specific Conductance** — A measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. Not federally regulated for health; used as a proxy for total dissolved solids.
- **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.
- **Total Dissolved Solids** — Total dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels affect taste and hardness.
- **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.
- **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._