Is South El Monte, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving South El Monte has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte.
San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte, which serves the most people here, has 3 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 23 ppm, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte is moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 91 to 340 mg/L (5.3 to 19.9 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 South El Monte’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte
California · serves 240,000 people · about 15,700 in South El Monte
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 23 ppm, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 91 to 340 mg/L (5.3 to 19.9 grains per gallon).
2 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
El Monte - City, Water Dept.
California · serves 23,000 people · about 1,800 in South El Monte
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 3 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 4.4 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: very hard, typically 252 mg/L (14.7 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 San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte’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: Nitrate, 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: Nitrate, Arsenic
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate
Water testing near South El Monte
The 3 labs California certifies closest to South El Monte, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Weck Laboratories, Inc.
City of Industry, CA · about 5 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 7 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
EMSL Analytical, Inc. (LA Testing)
South Pasadena, CA · about 8 miles
Certified for bacteria, asbestos
ZIP codes in South El Monte
Which ZIP codes are in South El Monte: 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 South El Monte
Other towns in Los Angeles County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read San Gabriel Valley Water Co. - El Monte’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for NitrateRanked 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