Running Springs Water District water quality
Running Springs, CA · serves 5,268 people (3,062 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID CA3610062
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Arrowbear Park County Water District, Clawa Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
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 ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 11.7 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 131 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFHxS 68.5 ppt vs a limit of 10 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 106 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 level8.1 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 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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 Running Springs Water District'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 (909) 867-2766. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 10 entry points tested Jan 2025 to Mar 2026. "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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 11.7 ppt 2.92× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 131 ppt 32.8× the limit |
| PFHxS Above limit Limit 10 ppt | 68.5 ppt 6.85× the limit |
| 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) Above limit Limit 1 | 6.86 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 8.55 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 2.8 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 13.5 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 10.4 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 9.45 ppt |
| PFPeS Detected, no limit | 7.8 ppt |
| PFHpS Detected, no limit | 2.75 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 97% of the California systems EPA tested, the PFOS average is higher than at 99% of the California systems EPA tested and the PFHxS average is higher than at 99% of the California systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 10 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 18 of 22 samples. Highest result 106 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: 8.1 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 8.1 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 7.1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 6.1 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 9.2 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 6.3 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 6.3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 9.7 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.
Where it serves
Running Springs
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 92382
Nearby utilities
- Lake Arrowhead Community Services District Lake Arrowhead · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- East Valley Water District Highland · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Crestline Village County Water District – Division 10 Crestline · 11 mi · PFAS above limit
- Redlands City Municipal Utility District – Water Division Redlands · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of San Bernardino San Bernardino · 12 mi
- Yucaipa Valley Water District Yucaipa · 13 mi
Questions
Is Running Springs Water District water safe to drink?
Running Springs Water District has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 Running Springs Water District water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Running Springs Water District found 10 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS and PFHxS: PFOA 11.7 ppt, PFOS 131 ppt, PFHxS 68.5 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Running Springs Water District water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Running Springs Water District is 8.1 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 CA3610062: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA3610062).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Running Springs Water District at (909) 867-2766, 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.