Is Los Angeles, CA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power · serves 3.9 million people (712,357 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID CA1910067
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from City of Burbank Water Dept., Metropolitan Water District of SO. Cal.. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 16 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 100 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level3.9 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2023. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jan 2018.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (800) 342-5397.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Dec 2023 to Sep 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Detected in 16 of 16 samples. Highest result 100 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 3.9 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 5.2 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 4.3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 5.2 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 6.3 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 9.2 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 13 ppb |
| Jul 2003 – Dec 2003 | 9 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power's inventory lists 0 galvanized lines that need replacing, 0 of unknown material out of 744,960 service lines (as of 2024-10). Counted by us from the utility's or state's published line-by-line inventory data.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan 2018 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Jan 2016 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Groundwater Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 2.43 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 307 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.04 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 4.18 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 3.26 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 10.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.93 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Los Angeles
955 ZIP codes the system reported serving
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Nearby utilities
- City of Santa Monica Water Division Santa Monica · 5 mi
- City of Inglewood Water Dept. Inglewood · 6 mi
- Golden State Water Company – Southwest Hawthorne · 8 mi
- Golden State Water Company – Florence/Graham Florence-Graham · 10 mi
- City of Huntington Park Water Dept. Huntington Park · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Burbank Water Dept. Burbank · 13 mi
Questions
Is Los Angeles tap water safe to drink?
Most of Los Angeles gets its water from City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power. City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power had 2 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Los Angeles water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power for 29 PFAS between Dec 2023 and Sep 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Los Angeles water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power is 3.9 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for CA1910067: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA1910067).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (800) 342-5397.
- City of Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power website
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.