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Tap water quality report

Desert Water Agency

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 112 contaminants and detected 17. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

112
contaminants tested
17
detected
74,807
people served
9
health-based violations
California rankingsLead in CaliforniaPFAS in California
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Riverside

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

9
health-based violations
17
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
MCL Health-based Resolved 2004-10-01 → 2004-12-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2004-10-01 → 2004-12-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 1994-02-01 → 1994-02-28
MCL Health-based Resolved 1994-02-01 → 1994-02-28
MCL Health-based Resolved 1994-02-01 → 1994-02-28
TT Health-based Resolved 1993-06-01 → 1994-08-01
TT Health-based Resolved 1993-06-01 → 1994-08-01
MCL Health-based Resolved 1992-10-01 → 1992-10-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 1992-10-01 → 1992-10-31
MR Monitoring Resolved 2018-01-01 → 2018-03-31

Other contaminants detected

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the single worst sample on record — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Nitrate
5424 µg/L 54%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
 414/516 SYR4 2012–2019
Fluoride
830 µg/L 21%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
 95/121 SYR4 2012–2019
TTHM
49 µg/L 61%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
 70/212 SYR4 2013–2019
Combined Uranium
29.8 µg/L 99%
of the EPA limit 30 µg/L
 62/62 SYR4 2012–2019
Bromoform
16.5 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 58/213 SYR4 2013–2019
Dibromochloromethane
8.3 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 58/213 SYR4 2013–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite
1000000 µg/L 10000%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10000 µg/L
 49/80 SYR4 2012–2018
Bromodichloromethane
7.2 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 35/212 SYR4 2013–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
45.8 µg/L 76%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
 30/186 SYR4 2013–2019
Lead
0.0 mg/L 0%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 25/25 LCR 2024
Chloroform
37 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 24/212 SYR4 2013–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid
2.8 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 24/186 SYR4 2013–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid
30.4 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 16/186 SYR4 2013–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid
16 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 15/186 SYR4 2013–2019
Tetrachloroethylene
0.8000 µg/L 16%
of the EPA limit 5 µg/L
 9/101 SYR4 2013–2019
Barium
160 µg/L 8%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
 7/121 SYR4 2012–2019
Gross Beta Particle Activity
4.2 pCi/L
No EPA limit set
 1/1 SYR4 2018
95 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,3,7,8-TCDD2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalArsenicAsbestosAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCopperCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChromiumDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEndrinEthylbenzeneGlyphosateHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoLeadMercuryMethoxychlorMonobromoacetic AcidMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneThallium, TotalTolueneTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
SAENZ, ESTHER
Phone
760-323-4971
Email
esaenz@dwa.org

Frequently asked questions about Desert Water Agency

Is Desert Water Agency tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 17 contaminants in Desert Water Agency's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Desert Water Agency's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, Fluoride, TTHM, Combined Uranium, Bromoform, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Desert Water Agency serve?

Desert Water Agency reports serving 74,807 people in California, per its EPA record.

Has Desert Water Agency had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 17 violations on file for Desert Water Agency, of which 9 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.