Is Acton, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Acton has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records.
Palmdale Water Dist., which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.6 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Palmdale Water Dist. is soft to very hard depending on the source, 29 to 240 mg/L (1.7 to 14 grains per gallon). How California’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Acton’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Palmdale Water Dist.
California · serves 126,804 people · about 1,100 in Acton
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 29 to 240 mg/L (1.7 to 14 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Los Angeles Cwwd 37 - Acton
California · serves 4,782 people · about 1,100 in Acton
4 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 13 ppm, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 305 mg/L (17.8 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in Palmdale Water Dist.’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: 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: Arsenic
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
Water testing near Acton
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Acton, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Pat-Chem Laboratories
San Fernando, CA · about 18 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
EMSL Analytical, Inc. (LA Testing)
South Pasadena, CA · about 22 miles
Certified for bacteria, asbestos
Positive Lab Service
Los Angeles, CA · about 28 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
Which ZIP codes are in Acton: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: California State Water Resources Control Board, ELAP accredited laboratories and their fields of accreditation; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Acton
Other towns in Los Angeles County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Palmdale Water Dist.’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water