Pure Water, Pure Life
Is My Tap Water Safe?
Every city water system publishes a yearly report. Here’s how to read yours, with the official link and the numbers worth knowing for each town we serve.
Licensed C55 contractor · CSLB #811243 · 30+ years · Family-owned since 1996
Licensed · Bonded · Workers' comp · Liability · 30+ years · Family-owned since 1996 · CSLB #811243
The short answer
Public water systems test constantly and must tell you about every regulated contaminant they detect, once a year, in a Consumer Confidence Report. If your utility had a violation, the report and separate public notices say so. A few of our towns have open compliance plans right now (Patterson and Ripon for chromium-6, Hughson for arsenic and 1,2,3-TCP (trichloropropane, a contaminant linked to past farm fumigant use)), and each one is listed below. “Safe” also depends on your plumbing, your household (infants, pregnancy, health conditions) and what you’re comfortable with, so read your own report and test at your tap.
How to read your water report
- MCL (maximum contaminant level): the enforceable legal limit.
- PHG / MCLG: a health goal, often far below the legal limit. Being above a PHG is not a violation.
- Notification level: a California advisory level for chemicals without an MCL yet, like many PFAS.
- Average and range: your tap can be anywhere in the range, depending on which wells are running.
- Secondary standards (hardness, TDS (total dissolved solids, the minerals and salts dissolved in water), taste, odor): about how water looks and tastes, not health.
Your town, the official report, and what stands out
| Town | Worth knowing (from the latest report) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manteca | Hardness 158 ppm (parts per million) on the well side; TCP treatment on all affected wells by June 2025; PFHxS 7.5 ppt at one well (Sept. 2025). | Official report |
| Lathrop & River Islands | PFOS 15 ppt in the distribution system (2024); treated-groundwater arsenic 6 ppb; well hardness 196 ppm. | Official report |
| Patterson | Very hard, 402 ppm; chromium-6 averaging 18 ppb against a 10 ppb limit, under a compliance plan. | Official report |
| Stockton | Two providers; Cal Water hardness 150 ppm average; the City of Stockton uses chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia). | Official report |
| Ripon | Hardness 130 ppm; Well 19 chromium-6 at 10.7 ppb; nitrate 4.2 ppm average. | Official report |
| Turlock | Nitrate up to 9.84 ppm (limit 10); hardness 89 ppm; chlorine about 0.9 ppm. | Official report |
| Modesto | See the city page for hardness, chlorine and local notes. | Official report |
| Lodi | Hardness 133 ppm; arsenic 3.8 ppb; the city discourages self-regenerating softeners. | Official report |
| Escalon | Hardness 109 ppm; nitrate 4.9 ppm; vanadium 28 ppb (notification level 50). | Official report |
| Newman | Very hard, 413 ppm; TDS 864 ppm; chromium-6 2.54 ppb. | Official report |
| Hughson | Arsenic 12.3 ppb and 1,2,3-TCP 17 ppt, both above their limits; quarterly notices. | Official report |
On a private well?
City reports don’t cover private wells, and nobody tests them for you. See well water treatment and water testing.
Specific concerns
Questions
Where do I find my city’s water quality report?
Each town page on this site links to its latest official report, and the table above has every one. Utilities also mail or email a notice each year by July 1.
Can I tell if my water is safe by taste or smell?
No. Arsenic, chromium-6, TCP, PFAS and nitrate have no taste or smell. Only a test tells you.
Is bottled water safer than tap water?
Not automatically. Many families prefer under-sink RO: it reduces a wide range of contaminants at home, with no jugs to haul.
Free water test / estimate
We reply during business hours (Mon–Fri, 9 AM–4 PM). Prefer to talk? Call (209) 523-5921.
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- Licensed
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- Workers' comp
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- Family-owned since 1996
- CSLB #811243
Office: (209) 523-5921
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