Mettler County Water District
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
- 90 people
- Connections
- 42
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Bakersfield, CA
- County
- Kern
- Owner
- Local government
- Hardness
- Varies by source
The ZIP code it serves
The short answer
1 result is above EPA’s legal limit, and 1 more is above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate, above the legal limit. 19 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
Nitrate, arsenic, fluoride, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), chromium (total) and haloacetic acids (HAA5): California’s own results, samples taken from Jan. 8, 2020 to June 30, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
Above the legal limit1
Nitrate
Comes from the source
20ppm
Highest sample; found in 48 of 49
2026 average: 3.8 ppm
From 2020 to 2025, 13 samples were above EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm, the highest 20 ppm in 2021. 13 have no follow-up sample on file within 30 days. In 2026, the latest year on file, its three samples averaged 3.8 ppm. EPA recorded violations for nitrate at this utility in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 13 ppm, in 2016, and EPA recorded violations in 2017, 2018 and 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 goal1
Arsenic
Comes from the source
2.6ppb
Highest yearly average, 2022
Averaged by year, the highest was 2.6 ppb, in 2022: below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppb, but above its health goal of zero. Its highest single sample was 2.7 ppb. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 3.1 ppb, in 2012.
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 limits4
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
0.58ppm
Highest yearly average, 2022
Averaged by year, the highest was 0.58 ppm, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. Its highest single sample was 0.69 ppm. That is the only year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 0.78 ppm, in 2015.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
5.6ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2023
2023: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 5.6 ppb, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. In 2023, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Chromium (total)
Comes from the source
6.0ppb
Highest yearly average, 2022
Averaged by year, the highest was 6.0 ppb, in 2022, below EPA’s legal limit of 100 ppb. Its highest single sample was 12 ppb. That is the only year on file.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Chromium (Hexavalent) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Chromium Reduction”
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
1.3ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2023
2023: not found
Averaged by year, the highest was 1.3 ppb, in 2020, below EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. In 2023, the latest year on file, it wasn’t found in its one sample. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 2.9 ppb, in 2016.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
One compound tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- Lead
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), Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: Nitrate, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Arsenic (III) (50 ppb influent level)
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction, Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=50 ppb Reduction
For: Nitrate, Arsenic
Other certifiers’ wording: Nitrate; Arsenic (Pentavalent)<=300 ppb Reduction; Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level)
At the tap, or for the whole house?
These come with the water itself, so a whole-house system certified for the same claims treats every tap and shower. A filter at the tap treats drinking water for much less. 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, 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, 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
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
Hardness
Moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 79 to 175 mg/L (4.6 to 10.2 grains per gallon), across 2 sampling points, 2019 to 2022.
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 | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 | 13 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 11 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 | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | 13 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Oct. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 | 12 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | July 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2023 | 13 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 | 19 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 | 13 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | July 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022 | 19 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022 | 19 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 | 22 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | July 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2021 | 19 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 | 20 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | July 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2020 | 17 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Oct. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019 | 12 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 | 11 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Oct. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018 | 11 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018 | 13 MG/L | Archived |
| Nitrate | A sample was above the legal limit, for a contaminant judged one sample at a time.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample | Jan. 1, 2017 to Jan. 31, 2017 | 11.3 MG/L | Archived |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 2 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Nitrate, arsenic, fluoride, total trihalomethanes (TTHM), chromium (total) and haloacetic acids (HAA5) results here are California’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Mettler County Water District’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. 8, 2020 to June 30, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs California certifies closest to the area Mettler County Water District serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Zalco Laboratories, Inc.
Bakersfield, CA · about 17 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
Pace Analytical Services, LLC dba BC Laboratories, Inc.
Bakersfield, CA · about 17 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
BSK Associates - Bakersfield Analytical Laboratory
Bakersfield, CA · about 18 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 Dec. 31, 2019 to Dec. 27, 2022, read Oct. 10, 2026
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID CA1500401. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
What to do next
- Read up on the 2 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 reportMettler County Water District 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