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Pala Northwater quality report, rewritten

Serves
14,280
Connections
400
Water source
Groundwater
Based in
Pala, CA
Owner
Native American

ZIP codes served: 92059

PWSID 0906051532026 edition · EPA data

Read this first

  • PFOA was found in two of 8 samples, highest 6.1 ppt. Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.
  • Copper The 90th-percentile result was 1.4 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.
  • Lithium was found in four of 8 samples, highest 12 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
  • Lead The 90th-percentile result was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

16 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.

What handles it

What was found

Highlighted: above the health goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample. Every scale puts the legal line at its middle.

PFOA

Comes from the source

6.1ppt

Highest of 8 samples; found in two

Above the 4.0 ppt legal limit in at least one sample. Compliance is judged on a running annual average, not one sample.

What handles it

  • NSF/ANSI 53Look for: PFOA ReductionAlso listed as: Total PFAS Reduction; Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
  • NSF/ANSI 58Look for: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 29, 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

Copper

Comes from pipes, often your own

1.4ppm

90th percentile, 2017 to 2019

The 90th-percentile result was 1.4 ppm, above the 1.3 ppm action level.

What handles it

EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 2004 to 2019. The pointer marks the latest period; each blue tick is an earlier one.

Lithium

Comes from the source

12ppb

Highest of 8 samples; found in four

Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.

What handles it

No certification claim covers this compound yet.

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 29, 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

Lead

Comes from pipes, often your own

1.0ppb

90th percentile, 2023 to 2025

The 90th-percentile result was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.

What handles it

EPA SDWIS, lead and copper monitoring periods ending 2006 to 2025. The pointer marks the latest period; each blue tick is an earlier one.

PFBS

Comes from the source

12ppt

Highest of 8 samples; found in five

Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.

What handles it

EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 29, 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024. Each blue tick is one sample where it was found.

Also found, with no federal limit

EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.

CompoundHighest sampleFound inCertification claim
PFPeA23 ppt4 of 8None covers it
PFHxA7.2 ppt3 of 8None covers it

Tested and not found

Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Feb. 29, 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.

  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • ADONA
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • NEtFOSAA
  • NFDHA
  • NMeFOSAA
  • PFBA
  • PFDA
  • PFDoA
  • PFEESA
  • PFHpA
  • PFHpS
  • PFHxS
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFNA
  • PFOS
  • PFPeS
  • PFTA
  • PFTrDA
  • PFUnA

Violations since 2016

Contaminant or ruleTypePeriodMeasuredStatus
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencyMarch 17, 2026—Unaddressed
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencyMarch 17, 2026—Unaddressed
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencyMarch 17, 2026—Unaddressed
NitrateMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single SampleJuly 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 202512.5 MG/LResolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 27, 2019—Unaddressed
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 27, 2019—Unaddressed
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Groundwater RuleFailure To Address DeficiencySept. 26, 2019—Resolved
Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 4 monitoring or reporting violations not shown.

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: PFOA Reduction, Copper Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: PFOA, Copper, Lead

  • NSF/ANSI 58

    Claims: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Copper Reduction, Lead Reduction

    For: PFOA, Copper, Lead

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.

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Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing

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What this report cannot tell you

  • Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in Pala North’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
  • 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.
  • Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Feb. 29, 2024 to Aug. 19, 2024.

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