Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Visalia, CA tap water
41 contaminants were measured in the Visalia, CA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 41
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds above EPA limits in Visalia, 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 (1.7×)below national p90 (19.900000000000006 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (1.1×)below national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)2.1× the national p90 (15.95999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFHxA
● Detected (no federal limit)above national p90 (12.190000000000003 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (13.909999999999979 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)above national p90 (18 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Visalia, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 60 sources.
Source
- WELL 83-01 - BEFORE _GAC-TCP
- WELL 16-02 - BEFORE_GAC-TCP
- WELL 82-01 - BEFORE_GAC-TCP
- WELL 12-01 - RAW
- + 56 more
Treatment
- WELL 30-01 - CL2
- WELL 82-01 - GAC_EFF-TCP
- WELL 81-01 - CL2
- + 53 more
Distribution
Also buys water from TULARE COUNTY CIVIC CENTER.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
3 contaminants historically over EPA limits in Visalia, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
PCE worst: 2013 | 0.094 mg/L 18.8× | 0.005 mg/L | '12'13'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2015 | 15.7 mg/L 1.6× | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DBCP worst: 2016 | 0.00029 mg/L 1.4× near national p90 | 0.0002 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CYANIDE worst: 2017 | 0.18 mg/L 90% above national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '17 |
ARSENIC worst: 2015 | 0.00656 mg/L within near national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2018 | 5.5 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2012 | 0.78 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'16'17'18'19 |
DICHLOROPROPANE 12 worst: 2019 | 0.00078 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.005 mg/L | '14'16'17'19 |
TCE worst: 2013 | 0.00074 mg/L within | 0.005 mg/L | '13'15'16 |
RADIUM 226 228 worst: 2018 | 0.59 pCi/L within below national p90 | 5 pCi/L | '18 |
TTHM worst: 2017 | 0.0051 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2013 | 0.12 mg/L within near national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'17'19 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2015 | 0.0033 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '14'15 |
ANTIMONY worst: 2014 | 0.000184 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.006 mg/L | '14'15 |
CADMIUM worst: 2015 | 0.000094 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.005 mg/L | '15 |
SELENIUM worst: 2015 | 0.000327 mg/L within | 0.05 mg/L | '14'15 |
MERCURY worst: 2015 | 0.000012 mg/L within | 0.002 mg/L | '15 |
TOLUENE worst: 2012 | 0.00294 mg/L within | 1 mg/L | '12 |
URANIUM worst: 2013 | 0.015 ug/L within near national p90 | 30 ug/L | '12'13'14'15'16'18'19 |
COPPER worst: 2014 | 0.12 mg/L below national p90 | — | '14'15 |
LEAD worst: 2014 | 0.000112 mg/L | — | '14'15 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2014 | 0.00102 mg/L | — | '14'15 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2014 | 0.00104 mg/L | — | '14'15 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.00441 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'17 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2013 | 0.00054 mg/L | — | '13'14'15 |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.97 mg/LAverageDistribution System-Wide | 4 mg/LMRDL | Within the limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanadium | 9.1 ug/LAverageGroundwater | 50 ug/LNL | Within the limit |
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 0.92 ug/LAverageGroundwater | 10 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | 0.0048 mg/LAverageGroundwater | 1 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| IronA naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. | Not detected ug/LAverageGroundwater | 300 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 26 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| MagnesiumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 2.2 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 17 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 151 mg/LAverageGroundwater | 1000 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Specific ConductanceA measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. | 226AverageGroundwater | 1600MCL | Within the limit |
| ColorA measure of visible tint in the water. | 1.7AverageGroundwater | 15MCL | Within the limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.29 NTUAverageGroundwater | 5 NTUMCL | Within the limit |
| OdorA measure of detectable smell in the water. | Not detectedAverageGroundwater | 3MCL | Within the limit |
| AlkalinityA measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. | 85 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| HardnessA measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. | 73 mg/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 7.5AverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.09 ng/LAverageGroundwater | 3 ng/LNL | Within the limit |
| 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid, a PFAS-related compound. | 0.34 ng/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acidPerfluoroheptanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.03 ng/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 0.19 ng/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal 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/LAverageDistribution System-Wide Highest Annual | 60 ug/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Distribution System-Wide Highest Annual, Distribution System-Wide
| |||
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 |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | Not detected pCi/LAverageGroundwater | 0.019 pCi/LPublic health goal | Within the limit |
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | Not detected pCi/LAverageGroundwater | 15 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TetrachloroethyleneAn industrial solvent (PCE) used in dry cleaning and degreasing. | Not detected ug/LAverageGroundwater | 5 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
People also ask about Visalia, CA's water
+Is Visalia, CA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 41 contaminants measured in Visalia, 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 Visalia, CA tap water?
41 contaminants were measured in Visalia, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, pfas ("forever chemicals"), and physical & aggregate. 29 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 Visalia, 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 Visalia, 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.