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

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

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/pismo-beach-water-department-pismo-beach-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/pismo-beach-water-department-pismo-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: 28
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 8
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0–560 ug/L (Range) | Lopez WTP | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Chlorate | Disinfection byproducts | 0.19–450 ug/L (Range) | Delivered (Lopez and State Water) | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chlorite | Disinfection byproducts | 0.2–0.89 mg/L (Range) | Lopez WTP | 1 mg/L (MCL) | Approaching the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 64 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 34–110 ug/L (Range) | Delivered (Lopez and State Water) | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.32 mg/L (Reported level) | Delivered (Lopez and State Water) | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 2.3 mg/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 0–0.071 mg/L (Range) | State Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 5 ug/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.036 mg/L (Reported level) | Lopez WTP | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 113 mg/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chromium, Hexavalent | Metals | 0.048 ug/L (Reported level) | Lopez WTP | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chromium, Total | Metals | 35 ug/L (Reported level) | Well 22/23 (1990)/ Huber Well | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.21 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Potassium | Metals | 3.5 mg/L (Reported level) | State Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 57 mg/L (Reported level) | State Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Vanadium | Metals | 15 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chlorine Free | Other | 2.5–4.18 mg/L (Range) | Lopez WTP | 4 mg/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Chromium | Other | 0.099 ug/L (Reported level) | State Water | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 350 mg/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Bicarbonate | Physical & aggregate | 430 mg/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 479 mg/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 7.6–8.8 (Range) | State Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.2–2.5 mg/L (Range) | State Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.15 NTU (Reported level) | State Water | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 7.4 pCi/L (Reported level) | Well 05 | 15 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 5.67 pCi/L (Reported level) | Well 22/23 (1990)/ Huber Well | 20 pCi/L (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Chromium, Hexavalent** — Hexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. A known carcinogen by inhalation; regulated nationally only within the total-chromium limit, with stricter limits in some states.
- **Chromium, Total** — Total chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause allergic dermatitis; includes hexavalent chromium.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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._