Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER
LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER delivers tap water graded C (70/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 7,751,132 residents in LOS ANGELES, California using surface water. 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 800-342-5397.
Is LOS ANGELES tap water safe to drink?
LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (70/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.
The utility serves 7,751,132 residents in LOS ANGELES, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 9 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromate, Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Uranium, Nitrate and nitrite. 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 LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER (system ID CA1910067) 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 LOS ANGELES residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 2.29 ppb, 572x 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.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 11.0 ppb, 184x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Contact LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER
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 LOS ANGELES
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
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 70/100 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 |
2.29 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 572× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
11.0 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 184× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
27.1 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 181× over |
| Bromate Disinfection byproduct |
2.8 ppb | 0.1 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.1 | — | 28× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.248 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 12× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
1.71 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 12× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
3.04 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 7.1× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.909 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 6.5× over |
| Trichloroethylene Volatile organic compound |
0.266 ppb | 0.4 | 5.0 | 10 | 20 | 1.7 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
77.3 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromochloromethane Other |
0.0174 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) Volatile organic compound |
0.00821 ppb | 0.06 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
5.16 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
1.31 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0207 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.065 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.538 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,1-Dichloroethane Volatile organic compound |
9e-06 ppb | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromide Other |
99.5 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorodifluoromethane Other |
0.0401 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.734 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
57.6 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| o-toluidine Other |
0.0005 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.
LOS ANGELES-CITY, DEPT. OF WATER & POWER 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 LOS ANGELES water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.