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CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY

PWS ID: CA2710004 · PACIFIC GROVE, California 93950

CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY serves 92,450 people in PACIFIC GROVE, California using Surface Water water sources. It has 17 recorded EPA violations, including 0 health-based violations. PFAS "forever chemicals" were detected in UCMR5 testing (9 compounds found).

Water Quality Snapshot: CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY

CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 92,450 residents in PACIFIC GROVE, California (Monterey County) through 39,044 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 17 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 15 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2012.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Asbestos, recorded in 3 violations (MR). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 9 PFAS compounds were detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 57.5 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. CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY's 17 violations sit below 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

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

Population Served
92,450
Total Violations
17
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
39,044
County
Monterey
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
15
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Asbestos MR 3 2002
Gross Beta Particle Activity MR 3 2002
Coliform (TCR) MR 2 2007
Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 1993
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 2 2012
Nitrate MR 2 2004
Chlorine MR 1 2005

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 33 of 780 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFHxS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 8/7/2023 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/7/2023 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
PFNA 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFUnA 8/7/2023 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
PFHxA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFDoA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFOS 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
ADONA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/7/2023 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/7/2023 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
PFBS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFOA 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFDA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 8/7/2023 <9 µg/L 9 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 8/7/2023 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
PFEESA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMBA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFMPA 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFOS 8/7/2023 0.0073 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Detected
4:2 FTS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFBS 8/7/2023 0.0132 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Detected
PFHpA 8/7/2023 0.0036 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Detected
PFHxS 8/7/2023 0.0087 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Detected
PFNA 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 8/7/2023 0.0092 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 8/7/2023 49.9000 µg/L 9 µg/L Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/7/2023 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/7/2023 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/7/2023 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 8/7/2023 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 8/7/2023 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 8/7/2023 0.0050 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Detected
PFMBA 8/7/2023 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFOA 8/7/2023 0.0081 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Detected
PFMPA 8/7/2023 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 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 CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY.

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 CA2710004 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 CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY 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
2012 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 2 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 0300
2007 Coliform (TCR) MR 2 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 3100
2005 Chlorine MR 1 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 0999
2004 Nitrate MR 2 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 1040
2002 Asbestos MR 3 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 1094
2002 Gross Beta Particle Activity MR 3 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 4100
1993 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / CA2710004 / 5000

How CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY Compares

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

Metric CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY California avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 17 21.1 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 8.8 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 9 compounds 64.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 92,450 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 CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY water safe to drink?
CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY (PWS ID: CA2710004) has 17 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 9 PFAS compounds found. This system serves 92,450 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY serve?
CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY serves 92,450 people in PACIFIC GROVE, California. It is a Private-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 39,044 service connections.
What type of violations does CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY have?
CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY has 17 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 15 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY water?
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 9 PFAS compounds in CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY's water supply: PFOS, PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFPeA, and others. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY use?
CAL AM WATER COMPANY - MONTEREY uses Surface Water 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.

Explore PlainWater

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.

Related

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