What was found in Pacific Grove's water
The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Suppliers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 460000 µg/L 4600% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 575000 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 6/7 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate | 6102 µg/L 61% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 7/7 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 407 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 570 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - GARRAPATA · 30 people · 2018 | 7/7 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 180 µg/L 9% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 190 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 2/7 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 84.345 µg/L 105% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 6/7 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 67.6 µg/L 5.2% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Highest in the city: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 11.95 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 67.45 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 2/7 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 57.5 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| Arsenic | 10 µg/L 100% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 48 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 4/7 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 45.87 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 3/7 | SYR4 |
| Mercury | 41.28 µg/L 2064% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 2 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 4.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 35.01 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - HIDDEN HILLS · 1,106 people · 2019 | 6/7 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 15.35 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 33.62 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - GARRAPATA · 30 people · 2019 | 6/7 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 30.675 µg/L 51% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 6/7 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 21.89 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 5/7 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 15.85 µg/L 32% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 4/7 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 15.715 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 4/7 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 4.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 14.57 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - GARRAPATA · 30 people · 2019 | 5/7 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 11.045 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 2/7 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 9.32 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Bromate | 6 µg/L 60% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 6 µg/L 40% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 2/7 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 4.97288 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 5.364 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 4/7 | SYR4 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 4.05 pCi/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2012 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Toluene | 4.023 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 2/7 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 2.62 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 5/7 | SYR4 |
| Cadmium | 1 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1.9 µg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK · 980 people · 2019 | 3/7 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 0.7000 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2016 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 0.7000 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| Dichloromethane | 0.6000 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2019 | 1/7 | SYR4 |
| PFBS | 0.0132 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| Lead | 0.0020 mg/L 13% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0130 mg/L — CAL AM WATER COMPANY - TORO · 1,065 people · 2025 | 7/7 | LCR |
| Pfhxa | 0.0093 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfpea | 0.0092 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| PFHXS | 0.0087 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOA | 0.0081 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOS | 0.0073 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfba | 0.0050 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhpa | 0.0036 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY · 92,450 people · 2023 | 1/7 | UCMR-5 |
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the
system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a
violation.
Formal violations are listed separately.
These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide
average. A detection means the lab measured the
substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source
tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.
Water suppliers serving Pacific Grove
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY | 92,450 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - CHUALAR | 1,139 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - HIDDEN HILLS | 1,106 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - TORO | 1,065 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - AMBLER PARK | 980 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - RALPH LANE | 96 |
| CAL AM WATER COMPANY - GARRAPATA | 30 |
Frequently asked questions about Pacific Grove tap water
Is Pacific Grove tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 39 contaminants in the water serving Pacific Grove. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.
How many water suppliers serve Pacific Grove?
7 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Pacific Grove, California to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Pacific Grove's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Pacific Grove include Nitrate-Nitrite, Nitrate, Fluoride, Barium, TTHM. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.