Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK
LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK delivers tap water graded F (47/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 72,624 residents in DOWNEY, California using surface water (purchased). The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic detected. For questions, the utility can be reached at 562-805-2015.
Is DOWNEY tap water safe to drink?
LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (47/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 72,624 residents in DOWNEY, drawing from surface water (purchased).
Public testing data identifies 21 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Arsenic*, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Nitrate and nitrite, Radium, combined (-226 and -228), 1,4-Dioxane, Uranium, Bromoform. 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 DOWNEY residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK.
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.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 7.52 ppt, 7518x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
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.
Arsenic detected
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 0.16 ppb.
Contact LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK
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 DOWNEY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
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 47/100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
39.7 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | EPA violation |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
9.3 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | EPA violation |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
7.52 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 7518× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) PFAS |
1.43 ppt | 0.006 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 239× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
28.8 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 192× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
8.61 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 143× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
8.38 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 84× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.73 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 58× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
3.46 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 58× over |
| Arsenic* Heavy metal |
0.16 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 40× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.36 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 34× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
9.49 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 24× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
4.79 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 24× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.349 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 17× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
1.97 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 14× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
1.72 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 12× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.62 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 12× over |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
2.0 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | 5.7× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
2.08 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 4.8× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
2.27 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.5× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
56.3 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum* Heavy metal |
77.5 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
2.26 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
3.48 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
5.48 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
32.5 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
3.71 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
2.31 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
2.19 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
3.45 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
1.06 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cobalt Other |
0.0542 ppb | 70.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,1-Dichloroethane Volatile organic compound |
0.00205 ppb | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.703 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorodifluoromethane Other |
0.0425 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene Volatile organic compound |
0.276 ppb | — | 70.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.343 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
35.5 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.
LIBERTY UTILITIES - BELLFLOWER-NORWALK service area
This water system serves 1 community in Los Angeles County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for DOWNEY water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.