Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026

LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT

Serving 466,772 residents in LONG BEACH, California .

National rank 42th percentile
California rank 54th percentile
Data confidence Medium
D
62/100
Below Average
ⓘ How did we get this rating?
Quick answer

LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT delivers tap water graded D (62/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 466,772 residents in LONG BEACH, California using surface water (purchased). The most significant water quality concerns are: Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 562-570-2317.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
466,772
People served
1
City served
26
Contaminants detected
13
Above health guidelines
0
EPA violations (5 yr)

Is LONG BEACH tap water safe to drink?

LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (62/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including arsenic significantly above health guideline.

The utility serves 466,772 residents in LONG BEACH, drawing from surface water (purchased).

Public testing data identifies 13 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Chloroform, Trichloroacetic acid, Dibromoacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Chromium (hexavalent), Uranium. 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.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

Arsenic significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Arsenic detected at 2.75 ppb, 687x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 35.9 ppb, 359x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 17.1 ppb, 285x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Contact LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT

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

Recommended water filters for LONG BEACH

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Reverse Osmosis

$249-$750

Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO
$600-$750 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →
Waterdrop N1 Countertop RO
$249-$329 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →

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 62/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
10 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
15 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
7 / 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
Arsenic
Heavy metal
2.75 ppb 0.004 10.0 10 10 0.004 687× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
35.9 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 359× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
17.1 ppb 0.06 285× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
35.8 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 239× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
10.4 ppb 0.06 173× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
10.0 ppb 0.1 100× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
12.6 ppb 0.4 32× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
3.06 ppb 0.1 31× over
Dibromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.855 ppb 0.03 28× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
4.22 ppb 0.2 21× over
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
2.74 ppb 0.5 5.5× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.0449 ppb 0.02 2.2× over
Uranium
Radiological
0.45 pCi/L 0.43 20.0 30 30 0.43 1.0× over
N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)
Other
2.1 ppt 3.0 Below guideline
Chlorate
Disinfection byproduct
60.4 ppb 210.0 Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
5.29 ppb 40.0 Below guideline
Vanadium
Other
1.54 ppb 21.0 Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
3.48 ppb 100.0 50 80 Below guideline
Aluminum
Heavy metal
9.42 ppb 600.0 200 600 Below guideline
Monochloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.194 ppb 53.0 Below guideline
Monobromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.0393 ppb 25.0 Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.648 ppb 1500.0 Below guideline
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA)
PFAS
0.098 ppt 1000.0 Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.459 ppm 4.0 1.5 1.5 Below guideline
Germanium
Other
0.23 ppb Below guideline
Lithium
Other
11.7 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.

LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT service area

This water system serves 1 community in Los Angeles County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
CA1910065
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water (purchased)
Service connections
89,368
Service area
LONG BEACH, Los Angeles County, California