Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH delivers tap water graded F (49/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 201,000 residents in HUNTINGTON BEACH, California using surface water (purchased). The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 714-536-5503.
Is HUNTINGTON BEACH tap water safe to drink?
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (49/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 201,000 residents in HUNTINGTON BEACH, drawing from surface water (purchased).
Public testing data identifies 19 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Chromium (hexavalent), Uranium, Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Nitrate and nitrite, Nitrate, 1,4-Dioxane. 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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH (system ID CA3010053) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for HUNTINGTON BEACH residents
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 HUNTINGTON BEACH.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 1.71 ppb, 428x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 36.2 ppb, 362x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 0.314 ppt, 314x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Contact CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for HUNTINGTON BEACH
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)
$180-$750Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.
Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)
$429-$599Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
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 49/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
1.71 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 428× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.314 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 314× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
35.5 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 237× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
13.0 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 216× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 173× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.2 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 102× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.49 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 83× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.5 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 35× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
11.5 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 29× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.17 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 26× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
3.51 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 7.0× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.117 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.8× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
2.47 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 5.7× over |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) PFAS |
0.028 ppt | 0.006 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 4.7× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.676 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 2.3× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.307 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.2× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.284 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.0× over |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.385 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | 1.1× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.04 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
18.2 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
4.89 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
1.94 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
52.9 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
15.7 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
0.875 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
0.931 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| 1,1-Dichloroethane Volatile organic compound |
0.00252 ppb | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.65 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromide Other |
187.8 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.474 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.0574 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
5.82 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
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.
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH service area
This water system serves 1 community in Orange County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for HUNTINGTON BEACH water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.