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Community Water System · PWS CA3310007

Coachella Water Authority

Coachella, California 92236 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 43,590 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

43,590
People served
24
EPA violations
8
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 24 drinking-water violations at Coachella Water Authority, 33% of them health-based - above the California per-system average.

24
Total EPA violations on record
33%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
43,590
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Coachella Water Authority

Coachella Water Authority is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 43,590 residents in Coachella, California (Riverside County) through 9,585 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 24 total violations for this system , of which 8 (33%) 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 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 8 violations (MCL, health-based). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

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. Statewide, 447 of 694 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (64.4%).

Coachella Water Authority's 24 violations sit above the California average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
43,590
Total Violations
24
Health-Based Violations
8
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
9,585
County
Riverside
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
8
Monitoring Violations
15
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MCL 8 1993
Chlorine MR 6 2009
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 2024
Coliform (TCR) MR 2 2004
E. COLI MR 2 2025
Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 1993

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 319 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFBA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/16/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/16/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/16/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 8/16/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/16/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/16/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 8/16/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 8/16/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 8/16/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 8/16/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 8/16/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/16/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 8/16/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt 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 Coachella Water Authority.

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 CA3310007 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 Coachella Water Authority 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
2025 E. COLI MR 2 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 3014
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 8000
2009 Chlorine MR 6 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 0999
2004 Coliform (TCR) MR 2 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 3100
1993 Coliform (TCR) MCL 8 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 3100
1993 Lead and Copper Rule MR 1 SDWIS / CA3310007 / 5000

How Coachella Water Authority Compares

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

Metric Coachella Water Authority California avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 24 21.1 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 8 8.8 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 64.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 43,590 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 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Coachella Water Authority water safe to drink? ▼
Coachella Water Authority (PWS ID: CA3310007) has 24 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 43,590 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Coachella Water Authority serve? ▼
Coachella Water Authority serves 43,590 people in Coachella, California. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 9,585 service connections.
What type of violations does Coachella Water Authority have? ▼
Coachella Water Authority has 24 total violations: 8 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 Coachella Water Authority water? ▼
No. Coachella Water Authority was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Coachella Water Authority use? ▼
Coachella Water Authority 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.
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.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.