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CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT

PWS ID: CA2010001 · CHOWCHILLA, California 93610

CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT serves 13,916 people in CHOWCHILLA, California using Groundwater water sources. It has 23 recorded EPA violations, including 12 health-based violations. PFAS "forever chemicals" were detected in UCMR5 testing (1 compound found).

Water Quality Snapshot: CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT

CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 13,916 residents in CHOWCHILLA, California (Madera County) through 4,224 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 23 total violations for this system , of which 12 (52%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 7 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2006.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 12 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 1 PFAS compound was detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 0.0045 ppt. PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

Across California, EPA tracks 7,249 public water systems serving 42,404,883 people, with 153,308 cumulative violations and 63,983 health-based violations on record. About 89% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 21.1 violations. CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT's 23 violations sit above the California average. Statewide, 447 of 694 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (64.4%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

PFAS Detected

1 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served
13,916
Total Violations
23
Health-Based Violations
12
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
4,224
County
Madera
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
12
Monitoring Violations
7
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 12 1995
Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 2006
Radium-228 MR 2 2001
TTHM MR 1 2005

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 1 of 330 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
4:2 FTS 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 5/5/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
PFBS 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFHxS 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFNA 5/5/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFOS 5/5/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFOA 5/5/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFDA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFDoA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFHxA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMPA 5/5/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 5/5/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 5/5/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
ADONA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
HFPO-DA 5/5/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 5/5/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
6:2 FTS 5/5/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
8:2 FTS 5/5/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMBA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFEESA 5/5/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFUnA 5/5/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 5/5/2025 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 4/22/2025 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 4/22/2025 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 4/22/2025 <9 µg/L 9 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 4/22/2025 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 4/22/2025 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 4/22/2025 <9 µg/L 9 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 4/22/2025 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
PFMBA 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 4/22/2025 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 4/22/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFBS 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFEESA 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMPA 4/22/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
8:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
4:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
6:2 FTS 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
HFPO-DA 4/22/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFOS 4/22/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 4/22/2025 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
ADONA 4/22/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records — or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status — go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS — Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID CA2010001 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

California Drinking Water Authority

California State Water Resources Control Board — Division of Drinking Water is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT under EPA-delegated authority.

Open CA regulator portal

Source: California State Water Resources Control Board — Division of Drinking Water

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2006 Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 SDWIS / CA2010001 / 5000
2005 TTHM MR 1 SDWIS / CA2010001 / 2950
2001 Radium-228 MR 2 SDWIS / CA2010001 / 4030
1995 Coliform (TCR) MCL 12 SDWIS / CA2010001 / 3100

How CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT California avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 23 21.1 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 12 8.8 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 1 compound 64.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 13,916 5,850 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 7,249 regulated public water systems in California.

Federal MCL reference — Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT water safe to drink? ▼
CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT (PWS ID: CA2010001) has 23 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 1 PFAS compound found. This system serves 13,916 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT serve? ▼
CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT serves 13,916 people in CHOWCHILLA, California. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 4,224 service connections.
What type of violations does CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT have? ▼
CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT has 23 total violations: 12 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 7 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT water? ▼
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound in CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT's water supply: PFOA. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT use? ▼
CHOWCHILLA CITY WATER DEPT uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial