Hungry Gulch 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
- 36 people
- Connections
- 36
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Lake Isabella, CA
- County
- Kern
- Owner
- Private
- Hardness
- Varies by source
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s legal limit, and 3 more are above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic, above the legal limit. 39 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 2013 to 2025.
Arsenic, nitrate, uranium, fluoride, chromium (total), haloacetic acids (HAA5) and total trihalomethanes (TTHM): California’s own results, samples taken from Jan. 21, 2020 to April 20, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
Above the legal limit1
Arsenic
Comes from the source
27.8ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
Averaged by year, the highest was 27.8 ppb, in 2026, about 2.8 times EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb. Its highest single sample was 87 ppb. That was also the latest year on file. EPA recorded violations for arsenic at this utility in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 38.8 ppb, in 2013, and EPA recorded violations in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction”
Above the health goal3
Nitrate
Comes from the source
12ppm
Highest sample; found in 53 of 53
2026 average: 7.0 ppm
From 2021 to 2024, three samples were above EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm, the highest 12 ppm in 2024. Two came back under the limit on the next sample at the same point and one has no follow-up sample on file within 30 days. 10 ppm is also EPA’s health goal. In 2026, the latest year on file, its two samples averaged 7.0 ppm. EPA recorded no violation for nitrate at this utility since 2020. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 10 ppm, in 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
2.2ppb
90th percentile, 2025
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 2.2 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”
Uranium
Comes from the source
2.2ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020
Averaged by year, the highest was 2.2 ppb, in 2020: below EPA’s legal limit of 30 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 4.3 ppb. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 12.6 ppb, in 2012.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Uranium”
Below EPA’s limits1
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
0.2ppm
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2025
2025 average: 0.2 ppm
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.2 ppm, in 2023, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. Its highest single sample was 0.21 ppm. In 2025, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 0.2 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.21 ppm, in 2013.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
3 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- Chromium (total)
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- 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: Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge), Lead Reduction
For: Arsenic, Nitrate, Lead
Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction, Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction, Lead Reduction, Uranium
For: Arsenic, Nitrate, Lead, Uranium
Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=300 ppb Reduction; Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level); Nitrate
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: Arsenic, Nitrate, Lead
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: Arsenic, 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: Arsenic, Lead
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
Hardness
Moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 95 to 140 mg/L (5.6 to 8.2 grains per gallon), across 3 sampling points, 2019 to 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 | 0.049 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025 | 0.043 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 | 0.043 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 0.047 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | 0.051 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024 | 0.051 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 | 0.058 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024 | 0.06 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 | 0.051 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2023 | 0.058 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 | 0.057 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 | 0.058 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 | 0.058 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022 | 0.043 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 | 0.041 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022 | 0.028 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 | 0.034 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2021 | 0.042 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 | 0.043 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 | 0.051 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020 | 0.046 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2020 | 0.04 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 | 0.044 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019 | 0.045 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2019 | 0.052 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 | 0.055 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019 | 0.072 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018 | 0.084 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2018 | 0.081 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018 | 0.077 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018 | 0.064 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017 | 0.07 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2017 | 0.081 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 | 0.065 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017 | 0.071 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2016 | 0.066 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2016 | 0.088 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 | 0.077 MG/L | Archived |
| Arsenic | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016 | 0.074 MG/L | Archived |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 1 monitoring or reporting violation not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Arsenic, nitrate, uranium, fluoride, chromium (total), haloacetic acids (HAA5) and total trihalomethanes (TTHM) results here are California’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Hungry Gulch MWC’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has 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 Jan. 21, 2020 to April 20, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs California certifies closest to the area Hungry Gulch MWC serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Pace Analytical Services, LLC dba BC Laboratories, Inc.
Bakersfield, CA · about 37 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
Zalco Laboratories, Inc.
Bakersfield, CA · about 37 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
BSK Associates - Bakersfield Analytical Laboratory
Bakersfield, CA · about 42 miles
Certified for bacteria
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 Oct. 8, 2019 to July 21, 2025, read Oct. 10, 2026
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID CA1500436. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 4 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with Arsenic
- Get the utility’s own reportHungry Gulch MWC must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show.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