Is Anaheim, CA tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
City of Anaheim, the largest system here, had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA, PFOS) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
2 public water systems serve parts of Anaheim. The largest, City of Anaheim, serves 350,254 people, and one system here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
City of Anaheim
350,254 people · Surface water · EPA ID CA3010001
Buys treated water from City of Fullerton, City of Garden Grove, Yorba Linda Water District, Metropolitan Water District of SO. Cal., City of Orange, Golden State Water Company – Placentia/Yorba Linda.
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 8 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 17.9 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit | 10 ppt | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 94% of the California systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 95% of the California systems EPA tested.
Lead: 0 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2024, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across California, 129 of 691 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 26 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. California results.
Anaheim homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. City of Anaheim publishes a service line inventory you can search by address. Look up your address. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Anaheim city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Anaheim
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Yorba Linda 2 mi Yorba Linda Water District | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Placentia 6 mi Western Municipal Water District | None above limits | 1.3 ppb |
| Chino Hills 6 mi City of Chino Hills | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Orange 8 mi City of Orange | Above limit | 2.33 ppb |
| Brea 8 mi Yorba Linda Water District | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Tustin 9 mi Irvine Ranch Water District | None above limits | 0 ppb |
Anaheim ZIP codes (7)
- 92801
- 92802
- 92804
- 92805
- 92806
- 92807
- 92808
Questions
Is Anaheim tap water safe to drink?
City of Anaheim has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Anaheim, CA?
2 public water systems serve parts of Anaheim. The largest is City of Anaheim (350,254 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Anaheim tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at City of Anaheim. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Anaheim homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 65% of Anaheim homes as built before 1980 (California: 56%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. City of Anaheim's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.