We read 17 results from City of Porterville’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 9 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 63,164 people · Water system ID CA5410010 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenicaverage · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2023 · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 2 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal500x the health goal |
| Chromium-6average · range ND to 2.7 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.3 ppb | 0.02 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal15x the health goal |
| Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)average · range ND to 0.05 · listed as a violation in the report · printed as 21.4 ppt · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.02 ppb | 0 ppb | 0.2 ppb | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)average · range 1.11 to 8.86 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 5.11 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| PFOA (a PFAS)average · range ND to 17 · Wells (UCMR5) · 2025 report, page 5 | 1.7 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal243x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)average · range ND to 18 · Wells (UCMR5) · 2025 report, page 5 | 2.7 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal2.7x the health goal |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)average · range ND to 0.92 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.92 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)average · range ND to 4 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 1.4 ppb | 0.06 ppb | 5 ppb | Above the health goal23x the health goal |
| Uraniumaverage · range 5.63 to 9.77 · listed as a violation in the report · printed as 5.26 pCi/L · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 7.84 ppb | 0.6 ppb | 30 ppb | Above the health goal13x the health goal |
| 1,1-Dichloroethyleneaverage · range ND to 1 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.23 ppb | 7 ppb | 7 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Bariumaverage · range ND to 0.23 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.05 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorineaverage · range 0.38 to 0.57 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.46 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of 48 homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.1 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)average · range ND to 5 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 2.6 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideaverage · range ND to 0.3 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2023 · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.11 ppm | 1 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of 48 homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | Not detected | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Not detected |
| Nitrate (as N)average · range 1 to 6.1 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 4 | 3.7 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in City of Porterville’s water between May 2023 and Nov 2023. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOA22 pptFound in 2 of 58 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFOS23 pptFound in 13 of 58 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFHxS3.6 pptFound in 4 of 58 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
- PFBS9.1 pptFound in 5 of 58 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
- Lithium11.6 ppbFound in 12 of 58 samples · highest resultAbove EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb (a guide, not a legal limit)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
Industrial chemicals and pesticides
Found: Dibromochloropropane (DBCP), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
What removes it: Carbon block or RO.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross alpha (radioactivity), Radium (combined 226 + 228), Uranium
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS), PFOS (a PFAS), PFOA (EPA testing), PFOS (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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