Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Salinas, CA tap water
37 contaminants were measured in the Salinas, CA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 37
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in Salinas, 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.
Lithium
● Detected (no federal limit)near national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Salinas, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 27 sources.
Source
- WELL 106-01 - RAW
- WELL 030-01 - RAW
- WELL 037-01 - RAW
- WELL 038-01 - RAW
- + 23 more
Treatment
- WELL STATION 37-01 CL2 DISINFECTION TRMT
- STATION 103 IX EFFLUENT
- STATION 103 CL2 DISINFECTION TRMT
- + 29 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
3 contaminants historically over EPA limits in Salinas, CA
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
NITRATE worst: 2016 | 26.2 mg/L 2.6× | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2017 | 17 mg/L 1.7× | 10 mg/L | '16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2019 | 0.0122 mg/L 1.2× near national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
SELENIUM worst: 2012 | 0.035 mg/L within | 0.05 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
PCE worst: 2015 | 0.0029 mg/L within | 0.005 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2018 | 0.019 mg/L within above national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DICHLOROETHYLENE 11 worst: 2012 | 0.00085 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.007 mg/L | '12'13'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2013 | 0.45 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2013 | 0.15 mg/L within near national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2013 | 0.0059 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CADMIUM worst: 2014 | 0.000174 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.005 mg/L | '12'14'15 |
ANTIMONY worst: 2015 | 0.000128 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.006 mg/L | '12'13'14'15 |
MERCURY worst: 2012 | 0.00001 mg/L within | 0.002 mg/L | '12 |
THALLIUM worst: 2014 | 0.00001 mg/L within | 0.002 mg/L | '14 |
BERYLLIUM worst: 2014 | 0.000009 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.004 mg/L | '13'14'15 |
TOLUENE worst: 2013 | 0.00155 mg/L within | 1 mg/L | '12'13 |
URANIUM worst: 2017 | 0.03 ug/L within above national p90 | 30 ug/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.00341 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'13'14'15'17 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.000737 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.001 mg/L | — | '12'13'15'16'17'18'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0011 mg/L | — | '12 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2013 | 0.00072 mg/L | — | '13 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0024 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00148 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 513 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 1000 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Specific ConductanceA measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. | 809AverageSystem-wide | 1600MCL | Within the limit |
| ColorA measure of visible tint in the water. | 1.6AverageSystem-wide | 15MCL | Within the limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.45 NTUAverageSystem-wide | 5 NTUMCL | Within the limit |
| AlkalinityA measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. | 191 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| HardnessA measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. | 254 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 7.3AverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 4.8 ug/LAverageGroundwater | 10 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Vanadium | 11 ug/LAverageGroundwater | 50 ug/LNL | Within the limit |
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | Not detected ug/LAverageSystem-wide | 200 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| BoronA naturally occurring element from rock and soil. | Not detected mg/LAverageGroundwater | 1 mg/LNL | Within the limit |
| IronA naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. | Not detected ug/LAverageSystem-wide | 300 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | Not detected ug/LAverageSystem-wide | 50 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NickelA metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | Not detected ug/LAverageGroundwater | 100 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| ZincA naturally occurring metal that can also enter water from corroding pipes. | Not detected mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 5 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 67 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| GermaniumA trace metalloid found in some source water. | Not detected ug/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| MagnesiumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 21 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PotassiumA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 2.6 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 65 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | 4.5 pCi/LAverageGroundwater | 15 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.98 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAA5Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. | Not detected ug/LAverageAnnual Average | 60 ug/LMCL | None detected |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli (E. coli)Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. | 0MaximumDistribution System-Wide Highest Monthly | 0MCL | None detected |
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTBE | Not detected ug/LAverageSystem-wide | 5 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
People also ask about Salinas, CA's water
+Is Salinas, CA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 37 contaminants measured in Salinas, 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 Salinas, CA tap water?
37 contaminants were measured in Salinas, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, physical & aggregate, and inorganic chemicals. 28 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 Salinas, 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 Salinas, 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.