# San Bernardino City — San Bernardino, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

> Contaminant levels for the San Bernardino City — San Bernardino, Ca, CA public water system from its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/san-bernardino-city-san-bernardino-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/san-bernardino-city-san-bernardino-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: 18
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 8
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0.68 mg/L (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | Not detected (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Perchlorate | Disinfection byproducts | 0.86 (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 3.8 (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Asbestos | Inorganic chemicals | Not detected MFL (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | 7 MFL (MCL) | None detected |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.42 mg/L (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 17.6 mg/L (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 10 mg/L (MCL) | At or above the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 2.33 (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.026–0.71 mg/L (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Nickel | Metals | Not detected (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Cis Dichloroethylene 12 | Other | Not detected (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | No federal limit | None detected |
| Dichloropropane 12 | Other | Not detected (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | None detected |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.03 NTU (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 1 NTU (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | Not detected pCi/L (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 15 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 3.2 pCi/L (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 20 pCi/L (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Dichloromethane | VOCs & pesticides | 0.01 (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Tetrachloroethylene | VOCs & pesticides | 0.06 (Average) | Local Groundwater Average Value | 5 (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Trichloroethylene | VOCs & pesticides | Not detected (Range) | Local Groundwater Range (low-high) | 5 (MCL) | None detected |

## 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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Nickel** — A metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure can cause skin and other effects; monitored under EPA rules.
- **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.
- **Tetrachloroethylene** — An industrial solvent (PCE) used in dry cleaning and degreasing. A likely human carcinogen; long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Trichloroethylene** — An industrial solvent (TCE) used in metal degreasing. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the liver.

## 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._