Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in PORTERVILLE, California
Tap water in PORTERVILLE, California receives a grade of F (48/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by PORTERVILLE, CITY OF. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in PORTERVILLE's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving PORTERVILLE.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
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 0.233 ppt, 233x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 0.794 ppb, 199x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for PORTERVILLE, CITY OF (system ID CA5410010) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | Missed reporting | 10/17/2024 | Open |
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | Required treatment not met | 10/17/2024 | Open |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Recommended filters for PORTERVILLE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in PORTERVILLE's 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.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)
$429-$599Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in PORTERVILLE's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
0.233 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 233× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
0.794 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 199× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.546 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 27× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.65 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 26× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
2.7 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 19× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.417 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 14× over |
| Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) Volatile organic compound |
0.786 ppb | 0.06 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 13× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
3.84 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 8.9× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
1.25 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 8.3× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.724 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 8.0× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.706 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7.1× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
1.85 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 6.2× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.294 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.9× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
0.198 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.3× over |
| 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) Other |
0.00538 ppb | 0.0017 | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | 3.2× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.588 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.2× over |
| Vanadium Other |
4.82 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
33.0 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0524 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
0.0588 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
80.9 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
1.55 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.3 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,1-Dichloroethane Volatile organic compound |
0.00387 ppb | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
0.316 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.283 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.517 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.214 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
0.188 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.264 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1-Butanol Other |
0.289 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorodifluoromethane Other |
0.325 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
0.294 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.119 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
2.02 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Testosterone Other |
0.083 ppt | — | — | — | — | — | — | 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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from PORTERVILLE, CITY OF.