Is Inyokern, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 8 utilities serving Inyokern have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: Inyokern CSD, West Valley Mutual Water Company and 148 East Water System.
Inyokern CSD, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.1 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from Inyokern CSD is moderately hard, typically 110 mg/L (6.4 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 Inyokern’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Inyokern CSD
California · serves 1,125 people · under 100 in Inyokern
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.1 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 110 mg/L (6.4 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
West Valley Mutual Water Company
California · serves 70 people · under 100 in Inyokern
1 result above the action level and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Copper at 1.6 ppm, above the action level. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 75 mg/L (4.4 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
East Inyokern Mutual Water
California · serves 87 people · under 100 in Inyokern
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 6.1 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 103 mg/L (6 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Owens Peak West
California · serves 79 people · under 100 in Inyokern
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 3.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 115 mg/L (6.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Sweet Water Co - Op
California · serves 47 people · under 100 in Inyokern
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 3.7 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: soft, 50 mg/L (2.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Life Water Co - Op
California · serves 35 people · under 100 in Inyokern
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.8 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 88 mg/L (5.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
South Desert Mutual Water Company
California · serves 26 people · under 100 in Inyokern
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 7.9 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 105 mg/L (6.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
148 East Water System
California · serves 36 people · based in Inyokern
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.5 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 120 mg/L (7 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 Inyokern CSD’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 Inyokern
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Inyokern, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Inyo County Water Lab
Independence, CA · about 47 miles
Certified for bacteria
Sierra Dairy Laboratory
Tulare, CA · about 65 miles
Certified for bacteria
Pace Analytical Services, LLC dba BC Laboratories, Inc.
Bakersfield, CA · about 69 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, radioactivity
ZIP codes in Inyokern
Which ZIP codes are in Inyokern: 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 Inyokern
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Inyokern CSD’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