Is Palm Springs, CA tap water safe?

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data for Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community.

3 public water systems serve parts of Palm Springs. The largest, Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community, serves 270,000 people. Your water bill names your system.

Largest system

Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community

270,000 people · Groundwater · EPA ID CA3310001

Buys treated water from Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority.

PFAS	Highest average	Limit	Status
PFOA Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFOS Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFHxS Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
PFNA Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected

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.

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

Full Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community results

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.

Palm Springs homes and lead pipes

57%

of homes built before 1980 (California 56%, US 50%)

built before 1950 (California 14%)

34%

of households rent (California 44%)

Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. 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 Palm Springs city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.

Which system serves your ZIP code

Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.

System	ZIP codes in Palm Springs
Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community 270,000 people	92264
Desert Water Agency 75,588 people	92262
Mission Springs Water District 43,484 people	92258

Other water systems serving Palm Springs

Desert Water Agency
75,588 people · Surface water · California · reported ZIPs here
No PFAS above limits
Mission Springs Water District
43,484 people · Groundwater · California · reported ZIPs here
No PFAS above limits

How nearby cities compare

City	Main water system	PFAS
Cathedral City 5 mi Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	None above limits
Desert Hot Springs 11 mi Mission Springs Water District	Mission Springs Water District	None above limits
Palm Desert 11 mi Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	None above limits
Indio 18 mi Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	None above limits
La Quinta 19 mi Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community	None above limits
Banning 23 mi City of Banning	City of Banning	None above limits

Questions

Is Palm Springs tap water safe to drink?

Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community has had no health-based violations since 2016. 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 Palm Springs, CA?

3 public water systems serve parts of Palm Springs. The largest is Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community (270,000 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Does Palm Springs tap water have PFAS?

None detected above EPA's reporting limits. Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community had no PFAS detected in EPA's 2023–2025 testing. "Not detected" means below the reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt), not proven zero.

Do Palm Springs homes have lead pipes?

Census estimates put 57% of Palm Springs 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. Coachella Valley Water District – Cove Community'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.