Is Franklin, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 4 utilities serving Franklin have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard and Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center [sws].
SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 24 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard is soft to very hard depending on the source, 9.1 to 385 mg/L (0.5 to 22.5 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 Franklin’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard
California · serves 188,417 people · about 1,700 in Franklin
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 24 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 9.1 to 385 mg/L (0.5 to 22.5 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
City of Merced
California · serves 96,073 people · about 930 in Franklin
3 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.9 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 59 to 260 mg/L (3.5 to 15.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Cal Am - Meadowbrook
California · serves 5,723 people · about 260 in Franklin
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 3 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 81 to 278 mg/L (4.7 to 16.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center [sws]
California · serves 2,800 people · under 100 in Franklin
1 result above the limit’s level with no violation recorded and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 30.1 ppb, above the limit’s level, no violation. Hardness: soft to very hard depending on the source, 27 to 280 mg/L (1.6 to 16.4 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard’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 Franklin
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Franklin, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Aemtek, Inc.
Modesto, CA · about 12 miles
Certified for bacteria
Institute of Environmental Health, Inc. dba IEH-JL Analytical
Modesto, CA · about 13 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Fruit Growers Laboratory, Inc.
Stockton, CA · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in Franklin: 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 Franklin
Other towns in Merced County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read SCWA - Laguna/Vineyard’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