We read 5 results from City of Poway’s 2024 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 1 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 49,888 people · Water system ID CA3710015 · Read the district’s 2024 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2024 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead90th percentile of 34 homes tested, 2 over the action level · sampled 2022 · Customer taps · 2024 report, page 3 | 1.86 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal9.3x the health goal |
| Chloraminehighest running annual average · range 0.24 to 3.71 · Distribution system · 2024 report, page 3 | 2.39 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of 34 homes tested, 0 over the action level · sampled 2022 · Customer taps · 2024 report, page 3 | 0.08 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 16 to 32 · Distribution system · 2024 report, page 3 | 21.7 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 23.9 to 65.1 · Distribution system · 2024 report, page 3 | 46 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
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 Poway’s water between Nov 2024 and Aug 2025. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium48.7 ppbFound in 4 of 4 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.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
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