Is Indianola, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 4 utilities serving Indianola has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records.
Humboldt Bay MWD, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.6 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Humboldt Bay MWD is moderately hard, 77 mg/L (4.5 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 Indianola’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Humboldt Bay MWD
California · serves 680 people · about 190 in Indianola
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.6 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 77 mg/L (4.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Humboldt C.S.D.
California · serves 19,775 people · under 100 in Indianola
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 4.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft to moderately hard depending on the source, 55 to 62 mg/L (3.2 to 3.6 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Eureka
California · serves 27,078 people · under 100 in Indianola
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.3 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Arcata
California · serves 18,857 people · under 100 in Indianola
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.5 ppb, above the health goal.
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 Humboldt Bay MWD’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Indianola
The 2 labs California certifies closest to Indianola, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Humboldt County Public Health Laboratory
Eureka, CA · about 5 miles
Certified for bacteria
Microbac Laboratories, Inc. - Arcata
Arcata, CA · about 9 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts
Which ZIP codes are in Indianola: 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 Indianola
Other towns in Humboldt County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Humboldt Bay MWD’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water