Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Riverside, CA tap water
16 contaminants were measured in the Riverside, CA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 16
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Riverside, CA
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.0×)PFHxA
● Detected (no federal limit)PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Riverside, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 45 sources.
Source
- RAUB · 5
- FLUME · 4
- GARNER · 3
- WARREN · 2
- + 30 more
Treatment
- GAGE DELIVERY - TREATED
- 7TH & CHICAGO - DISTRIBUTION
- JW NORTH WTP - FINAL EFFLUENT
- + 9 more
Distribution
Also buys water from WESTERN MWD.
Compliance history
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act violation & enforcement records (EPA SDWIS). A violation is a regulatory determination by the state or EPA — separate from the measured levels above.
- Maximum contaminant level exceededHealth-based1 violation on record · most recent Jun 1981resolved
Source: EPA SDWIS / ECHO. View the full federal record on EPA ECHO ↗
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | 5.4 mg/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | 10 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.46 mg/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArsenicA naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. | 2.8 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 90 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities Promedio | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (4)— Riverside Public Utilities Promedio, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Fuentes En El Agua Potable +1 more
| |||
| SeleniumA trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 1.9 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 2.1 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| LithiumA naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. | Not detectedAverageRiverside | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.17 NTUAverageRiverside Public Utilities Promedio | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Riverside Public Utilities Promedio, Riverside Public Utilities
| |||
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.6 mg/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities Promedio | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTHMTotal trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. | 6.3 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities Promedio | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| PerchlorateA chemical used in rocket fuel and fireworks that can also form during disinfection. | 2 ug/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | Not detected pCi/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | 15 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
| UraniumA naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. | 6.5 pCi/LAverageRiverside Public Utilities | 20 pCi/LMCL | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (3)— Riverside Public Utilities, Riverside Public Utilities Rango, Riverside Public Utilities Promedio
| |||
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detectedAverageRiverside | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Riverside, CA's water
+Is Riverside, CA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 16 contaminants measured in Riverside, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Riverside, CA tap water?
16 contaminants were measured in Riverside, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, pfas ("forever chemicals"), and disinfection byproducts. 5 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Riverside, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Riverside, CA's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.