Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026

City of Fresno Water Department

Serving 542,000 residents in Fresno, California .

National rank 24th percentile

California rank 37th percentile

Data confidence High

61/100

Below Average

ⓘ How did we get this rating?

Quick answer

City of Fresno Water Department delivers tap water graded D (61/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 542,000 residents in Fresno, California using groundwater blended with surface water from the Kings River/local aquifer. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Arsenic detected; Chromium-6 detected; Radium-228 detected. For questions, the utility can be reached at (213) 970-5097.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv ⓘ How did we get this rating?

⚠ Sample data notice: Some or all data on this page is illustrative sample data, not live measurements from this utility. See our disclaimer. For authoritative info, refer to the utility's published Consumer Confidence Report.

542,000

People served

City served

Contaminants detected

Above health guidelines

EPA violations (5 yr)

2024

Most recent test

Is Fresno tap water safe to drink?

City of Fresno Water Department delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (61/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including pfas contamination.

The utility serves 542,000 residents in Fresno, drawing from groundwater blended with surface water (Kings River/local aquifer) and disinfecting with chloramine.

Public testing data identifies 21 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: PFOA, PFOA, PFOA, Arsenic, Arsenic, Arsenic, Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Radium-228, Radium-228, Radium-228, Nitrate, Nitrate, Nitrate, Chromium-6 (Hexavalent), Chromium-6 (Hexavalent), Chromium-6 (Hexavalent). For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.

Quick actions for Fresno residents

💧 Visit the utility website fresno-ca.gov/water 📄 Read the official CCR Annual water quality report 📞 Call the utility (213) 970-5097 🧪 Get your water tested EPA-certified labs

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for City of Fresno Water Department.

PFAS contamination

Severe concern

PFOA, PFOA detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.

Arsenic detected

Moderate concern

Arsenic detected at 1.3 ppb.

Chromium-6 detected

Moderate concern

Chromium-6 detected at 0.11 ppb.

Radium-228 detected

Moderate concern

Radium-228 detected at 0.47 pCi/L.

Contact City of Fresno Water Department

Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.

General Contact

Address5300 Main Street, Fresno, CA 90099

Main phone(213) 970-5097

Emergency / 24-hr(213) 421-3301

Emailwater@fresno-ca.gov

Websitefresno-ca.gov/water

HoursMon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Water Quality Contact

For questions about contaminants, test results, or your Consumer Confidence Report.

OfficeFresno Water Quality Division

DepartmentWater Quality Compliance

Direct line(213) 580-5802

Emailwaterquality@fresno-ca.gov

Treatment Plant

FacilityFresno Water Treatment Plant →

Location5300 Treatment Plant Road, Fresno, CA

Operator certificationClass A (State certified)

Treatment capacity108 million gallons/day

Recommended water filters for Fresno

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)

$180-$750

Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis

$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter

$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401, 372

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO

$600-$750 NSF 42, 53, 58, 372

View on retailer →

Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)

$429-$599

Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis

$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Reverse osmosis certified for chromium (NSF/ANSI 58)

$429-$599

Chromium-6 needs reverse osmosis for reliable reduction. Standard carbon filters do not address it.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis

$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401

Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.

Score breakdown

This utility's overall score of 61/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance

23 / 40

Legal Compliance

20 / 20

High-Risk Contaminants

0 / 20

Compliance History

10 / 10

Source Water Vulnerability

8 / 10

Contaminants detected — international standards comparison

Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →

Contaminant	Detected	EWG US health-based	EPA US legal	EU DWD Europe	WHO global	CA PHG strictest US	Tested sample year	Status
PFOA Organic	13.6 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	2023	EPA violation
PFOA Organic	13.3 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	2022	EPA violation
PFOA Organic	11.1 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	2024	EPA violation
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.52 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	2023	380× over
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.32 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	2022	330× over
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.3 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	2024	325× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	15.6 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	2023	156× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	13.8 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	2022	138× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	13.5 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	2024	135× over
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	51.2 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	2023	85× over
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	48.1 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	2024	80× over
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	38.1 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	2022	64× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.47 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	2024	25× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.42 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	2022	22× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.329 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	2023	17× over
Nitrate Inorganic	1.5 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	2024	11× over
Nitrate Inorganic	1.33 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	2023	9.5× over
Nitrate Inorganic	1.1 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	2022	7.9× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.138 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	2022	6.9× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.11 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	2024	5.5× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.078 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	2023	3.9× over

Contaminant	Detected (2024)	EWG	EPA	EU DWD	WHO	CA PHG	Status
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	48.1 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	80× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	13.5 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	135× over
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.3 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	325× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.47 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	25× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.11 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	5.5× over
PFOA Organic	11.1 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	EPA violation
Nitrate Inorganic	1.5 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	11× over

Contaminant	Detected (2023)	EWG	EPA	EU DWD	WHO	CA PHG	Status
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	51.2 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	85× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	15.6 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	156× over
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.52 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	380× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.329 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	17× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.078 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	3.9× over
PFOA Organic	13.6 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	EPA violation
Nitrate Inorganic	1.33 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	9.5× over

Contaminant	Detected (2022)	EWG	EPA	EU DWD	WHO	CA PHG	Status
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct	38.1 ppb	0.6	80	100	—	—	64× over
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct	13.8 ppb	0.1	60	60	—	—	138× over
Arsenic Heavy metal	1.32 ppb	0.004	10	10	10	0.004	330× over
Radium-228 Radiological	0.42 pCi/L	0.019	5	—	0.1	0.019	22× over
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal	0.138 ppb	0.02	—	—	—	0.02	6.9× over
PFOA Organic	13.3 ppt	0.004	4	100	100	0.007	EPA violation
Nitrate Inorganic	1.1 mg/L	0.14	10	11.3	11.3	10	7.9× over

All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.

Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database, and City of Fresno Water Department's Consumer Confidence Report.