Is South Whittier, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 5 utilities serving South Whittier has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records.
Suburban Water Systems - Whittier, 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 13 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from Suburban Water Systems - Whittier is very hard, typically 243 mg/L (14.2 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 Whittier’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Suburban Water Systems - Whittier
California · serves 66,565 people · about 15,200 in South Whittier
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 13 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: very hard, typically 243 mg/L (14.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Orchard Dale Water District
California · serves 25,000 people · about 11,500 in South Whittier
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 23 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Suburban Water Systems - la Mirada
California · serves 57,240 people · about 8,800 in South Whittier
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 1 result above the limit’s level with no violation recorded, 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Arsenic at 13.5 ppb, above the limit’s level, no violation. Hardness: hard, typically 160 mg/L (9.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Gswc - Norwalk
California · serves 43,167 people · about 5,400 in South Whittier
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 58 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Hardness: very hard, typically 398 mg/L (23.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Whittier - City, Water Dept.
California · serves 49,954 people · about 1,900 in South Whittier
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 19 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: very hard, typically 265 mg/L (15.5 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 Suburban Water Systems - Whittier’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 South Whittier
The 3 labs California certifies closest to South Whittier, 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 6 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS, radioactivity
AIH Laboratory, Inc.
Anaheim, CA · about 7 miles
Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Michelson Laboratories, Inc.
Commerce, CA · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in South Whittier: 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 Whittier
Other towns in Los Angeles County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Suburban Water Systems - Whittier’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