Is Pasadena, CA tap water safe?
Supplied by Pasadena Water and Power · serves 165,448 people (38,591 connections) · Purchased surface water · EPA ID CA1910124
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Pasadena gets its water from Pasadena Water and Power. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Valley Water Company (10,113 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Kinneloa Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of SO. Cal., City of South Pasadena, Rubio Canon Land & Water Association, Valley Water Company. 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 14 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 64.2 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 level1.9 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- 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 Pasadena Water and Power's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (626) 744-4278. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Jul 2023 to Apr 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 10 of 14 samples. Highest result 64.2 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: 1.9 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.9 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 1.8 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 1.9 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 2 ppb |
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
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 | 30 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 130 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 16 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.96 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 15 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 6.6 ppb | – |
Where it serves
Pasadena
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 91001, 91101, 91102, 91103, 91104, 91105, 91106, 91107, 91109, 91150, 91775
Nearby utilities
- Rubio Canon Land & Water Association Altadena · 2 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Alhambra Alhambra · 5 mi
- City of Arcadia Arcadia · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Golden State Water Company – South Arcadia Arcadia · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Glendale Water Dept. Glendale · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
- Crescenta Valley County Water District Glendale · 6 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Pasadena tap water safe to drink?
Most of Pasadena gets its water from Pasadena Water and Power. Pasadena Water and Power has no health-based violations since 2016. 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 Pasadena water have PFAS?
EPA tested Pasadena Water and Power for 29 PFAS between Jul 2023 and Apr 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Pasadena water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Pasadena Water and Power is 1.9 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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 CA1910124: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA1910124).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Pasadena Water and Power at (626) 744-4278, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
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.