Is City of Atwater Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: Ground water
Ownership: Local government
Counties served: Merced

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

health-based violations

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2002-02-01 → 2002-02-28
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2002-02-01 → 2002-02-28
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2000-11-01 → 2000-11-30
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2000-11-01 → 2000-11-30
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1992-09-01 → 1992-09-30
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	1992-09-01 → 1992-09-30
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2014-01-01 → 2014-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2013-01-01 → 2013-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2013-01-01 → 2013-12-31

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).

Contaminant	Max	Detection rate	Period
PFHXS	0.0590 µg/L	8/16	2024
Pfpea	0.0270 µg/L	8/16	2024
Pfhxa	0.0250 µg/L	5/16	2024
PFBS	0.0078 µg/L	3/16	2024
Pfhpa	0.0120 µg/L	3/16	2024
PFOA	0.0330 µg/L	3/16	2024
PFOS	0.0450 µg/L	3/16	2024
Pfba	0.0110 µg/L	2/16	2024
Pfpes	0.0082 µg/L	2/16	2024
6:2 Fts	0.0130 µg/L	1/16	2024

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Detection rate	Source	Period
Nitrate	8588 µg/L 86% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 17000 µg/L	1574/1574	SYR4	2012–2019
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE	0.1400 µg/L 70% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L worst single sample: 0.1500 µg/L	137/188	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromochloromethane	2.135 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 3.2 µg/L	34/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Barium	160 µg/L 8% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	33/33	SYR4	2012–2018
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	6.945 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L worst single sample: 15 µg/L	30/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Arsenic	9.1 µg/L 91% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L worst single sample: 9.7 µg/L	28/34	SYR4	2012–2018
Fluoride	186 µg/L 4.7% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L worst single sample: 200 µg/L	25/25	SYR4	2012–2018
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	25/25	LCR	2025
Bromoform	3.085 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 4.5 µg/L	22/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid	5.9 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 14 µg/L	21/96	SYR4	2013–2019
TTHM	7.31 µg/L 9.1% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L worst single sample: 8.3 µg/L	19/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Bromodichloromethane	1.37 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 1.5 µg/L	14/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid	1.81 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 1.9 µg/L	10/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Combined Uranium	14.5352 µg/L 48% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L worst single sample: 15.9728 µg/L	5/8	SYR4	2015
Chloroform	0.5290 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 0.5300 µg/L	3/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid	3.07 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 3.1 µg/L	2/96	SYR4	2013–2019
Lead	1.1 µg/L 7.3% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	1/25	SYR4	2012–2015

64 contaminants tested, none detected

1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS4:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalAsbestosAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCopperCadmiumCarbon TetrachlorideChromiumDichloromethaneDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateEthylene DibromideEthylbenzeneHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorMonobromoacetic AcidMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitritePfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpsPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPftaPftrdaPfunaSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: VINSON, JUSTIN
Phone: 209-357-6370
Email: [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about City of Atwater

Is City of Atwater tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 27 contaminants in City of Atwater's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in City of Atwater's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE, Dibromochloromethane, Barium, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does City of Atwater serve?

City of Atwater reports serving 29,479 people in California, per its EPA record.

Has City of Atwater had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 14 violations on file for City of Atwater, of which 6 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.