Is Arroyo Grande, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 11 utilities serving Arroyo Grande have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: Woodland Park Mutual Water Co, Country Hills Estates and Ken Mar Gardens.
City of Arroyo Grande Utilities Division, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOS at 6.8 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from City of Arroyo Grande Utilities Division is soft to very hard depending on the source, 8 to 505 mg/L (0.5 to 29.5 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 Arroyo Grande’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Arroyo Grande Utilities Division
California · serves 17,963 people · about 560 in Arroyo Grande
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOS at 6.8 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 8 to 505 mg/L (0.5 to 29.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Golden State Water Company - Cypress Ridge
California · serves 2,032 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
4 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 17 ppm, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 39 to 260 mg/L (2.3 to 15.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Woodland Park Mutual Water Co
California · serves 538 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
1 result above the legal limit. The worst: Nitrate at 22 ppm, above the legal limit. Hardness: hard to very hard depending on the source, 170 to 190 mg/L (9.9 to 11.1 grains per gallon).
13 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Mesa Dunes Mobile Home Estates
California · serves 600 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 3.9 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 110 to 135 mg/L (6.4 to 7.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Canyon Crest Mutual Benefit WC
California · serves 133 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
H2o, Inc
California · serves 70 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 5.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 408 mg/L (23.8 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Country Hills Estates
California · serves 60 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
1 result above the action level and 1 result above the limit’s level with no violation recorded. The worst: Lead at 17 ppb, above the action level. Hardness: soft, typically 52 mg/L (3 grains per gallon).
14 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Varian Ranch Mutual Water
California · serves 105 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 5.4 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 350 mg/L (20.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Laguna Negra Mutual Water Co.
California · serves 80 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 72 mg/L (4.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Terra de Oro Water Company
California · serves 38 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: soft, typically 15 mg/L (0.8 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
1 more utility in Arroyo Grande
By EPA’s estimate, each serves fewer people in Arroyo Grande than those above.
- Ken Mar Gardensserves 84 people · under 100 in Arroyo Grande · 23 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 Arroyo Grande Utilities Division’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, PFOA, 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: PFOS, PFOA, 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: PFOS, PFOA, Arsenic
Water testing near Arroyo Grande
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Arroyo Grande, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Laboratory
San Luis Obispo, CA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria
Fruit Growers Laboratory, Inc.
San Luis Obispo, CA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria
Abalone Coast Analytical, Inc.
San Luis Obispo, CA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria
ZIP codes in Arroyo Grande
Which ZIP codes are in Arroyo Grande: 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 Arroyo Grande
Other towns in San Luis Obispo County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Arroyo Grande Utilities Division’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