Bar H MWC
What EPA’s and California’s records show in this utility’s water: nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 155 people
- Connections
- 47
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Lucerne Valley, CA
- County
- San Bernardino
- Owner
- Private
- Hardness
- Very hard
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s legal limit, and 2 more are above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate, above the legal limit. 16 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2014 to 2021.
Nitrate, arsenic, fluoride and chromium (total): California’s own results, samples taken from Dec. 16, 2020 to June 25, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM): EPA’s compliance monitoring file, samples taken from Dec. 31, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019. Newer results are in the utility’s annual water quality report.
Above the legal limit1
Nitrate
Comes from the source
13ppm
Highest sample; found in 39 of 39
2026 average: 10.4 ppm
From 2020 to 2026, 17 samples were above EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm, the highest 13 ppm in 2025. 17 have no follow-up sample on file within 30 days. In 2026, the latest year on file, its four samples averaged 10.4 ppm. EPA recorded violations for nitrate at this utility in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 9.5 ppm, in 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
Above the health goal2
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
2.9ppb
90th percentile, 2019 to 2021
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.9 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Arsenic
Comes from the source
1.2ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020
Averaged by year, the highest was 1.2 ppb, in 2020: below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 2.4 ppb. That is the only year on file.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
Below EPA’s limits1
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
0.36ppm
Highest yearly average, 2020
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.36 ppm, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. Its highest single sample was 0.4 ppm. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.37 ppm, in 2017.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
2 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- Chromium (total)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
What handles it
A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”
- NSF/ANSI 53
Claims: Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge), Lead Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: Nitrate, Lead, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction, Lead Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: Nitrate, Lead, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Nitrate; Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=300 ppb Reduction; Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level)
At the tap, or for the whole house?
Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, Lead, Arsenic
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, Lead, Arsenic
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, Lead
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Lead, Arsenic
Hardness
Very hard, typically 300 mg/L (17.5 grains per gallon), across 2 sampling points, in 2020.
Hardness is calcium and magnesium. EPA sets no limit for it: it shows up as scale on fixtures and in water heaters, and as soap that won’t lather. USGS calls water above 60 mg/L moderately hard, above 120 hard and above 180 very hard.
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 | 11.1 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026 | 10.8 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 | 10.9 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025 | 10.8 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 | 10.7 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 11.2 MG/L | Archived |
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | The required inventory of lead service lines was not completed or submitted on time.EPA: LSL Inventory | Oct. 17, 2024 | — | Unaddressed |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | 12 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024 | 11.7 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 | 11.7 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024 | 12 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 | 11.5 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2023 | 10.9 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 | 10.3 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 | 10.5 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Dec. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020 | 11 MG/L | Archived |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 12 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Nitrate, arsenic, fluoride and chromium (total) results here are California’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) comes from EPA’s file alone, which ends in 2019. Bar H MWC’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has newer results for those and the contaminants this page does not show.
Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 didn’t sample this utility; California’s results run from Dec. 16, 2020 to June 25, 2026; EPA’s compliance samples are from Dec. 31, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs California certifies closest to the area Bar H MWC serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Geo-Monitor, Inc
Hesperia, CA · about 23 miles
Certified for bacteria
BSK Associates - San Bernardino Analytical Laboratory
San Bernardino, CA · about 38 miles
Certified for bacteria
Clinical Laboratory of San Bernardino, Inc.
Grand Terrace, CA · about 41 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- California State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, results from Jan. 1, 2020 to July 17, 2026, read Oct. 8, 2026
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Certified labs: California State Water Resources Control Board, ELAP accredited laboratories and their fields of accreditation, read Oct. 17, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Hardness: California State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, results from Dec. 16, 2020 to Dec. 16, 2020, read Oct. 10, 2026
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID CA3600027. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 3 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with Nitrate
- Get the utility’s own reportBar H MWC must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show, and has newer results than EPA’s national file for the ones here that come from it.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs