Is Arcadia, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 3 utilities serving Arcadia has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records.
City of Arcadia, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 4 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 10 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from City of Arcadia is soft to very hard depending on the source, 23 to 295 mg/L (1.4 to 17.3 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 Arcadia’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Arcadia
California · serves 54,236 people · nearly all in Arcadia
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 4 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 10 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 23 to 295 mg/L (1.4 to 17.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Gswc - South Arcadia
California · serves 27,430 people · about 5,800 in Arcadia
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 3 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 22 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: hard to very hard depending on the source, 135 to 200 mg/L (7.9 to 11.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Cal - Am Water Company - East Pasadena
California · serves 9,963 people · about 4,200 in Arcadia
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 13 ppm, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 120 to 130 mg/L (7 to 7.6 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 City of Arcadia’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: PFOS, Nitrate, Arsenic, 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: PFOS, Nitrate, Arsenic, 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: PFOS, Arsenic, Lead
Water testing near Arcadia
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Arcadia, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
EMSL Analytical, Inc. (LA Testing)
South Pasadena, CA · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria, asbestos
Weck Laboratories, Inc.
City of Industry, CA · about 8 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS, radioactivity
Michelson Laboratories, Inc.
Commerce, CA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in Arcadia: 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 Arcadia
Other towns in Los Angeles County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Arcadia’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water