Serving roughly 47,419 people in Merced County, California.
Data current as of July 2026
🔍Straight from EPA
🧪Real Lab Results
📅Updated Quarterly
🏠Local Expertise
Results for CITY OF LOS BANOS
1 water provider directly on file, serving roughly 47,419 people in Merced County, California.
Quick answer: CITY OF LOS BANOS currently has an open health-based violation on file: Lead And Copper Rule Revisions, a compliance issue since 10/17/2024. This is active, not historical — see the violation detail below for what EPA's enforcement record shows.
Lead Summary
Lithium
Nitrate
Gross Alpha Particle Activity
Chromium, Hex
Tetrachloroethylene
Arsenic
Methyltert-Butylether
Utility CITY OF LOS BANOSPopulation served 47,419Owner Local government
Naturally occurring or corrosion-related elements, e.g. lead, arsenic, copper
Lead Summary
Detected: 0 mg/L (ppm)
12/31/2023
Chromium, Hex
Detected: 32 UG/L (ppb)
9/24/2025
Arsenic
Detected: 8.2 UG/L (ppb)
8/6/2025
Occurs naturally in some groundwater. Long-term exposure above the legal limit (10 ppb) has been linked to increased cancer risk and cardiovascular disease.
Inorganics
Common dissolved minerals and salts, e.g. nitrate, fluoride, chloride
Nitrate
Detected: 4 MG/L (ppm)
10/8/2025
Commonly from agricultural fertilizer runoff or septic systems. Above the legal limit, it's an immediate concern especially for infants.
Properties
General water characteristics like pH, hardness, and cloudiness (turbidity)
Gross Alpha Particle Activity
Detected: 15.9 PCI/L
7/2/2025
PFAS & Emerging Contaminants
Human-made "forever chemicals" and other substances not yet fully regulated
Lithium
Detected: 9.98 µg/L (ppb)
3/20/2025
Occurs naturally in some groundwater. Not currently federally regulated in drinking water.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
Industrial solvents and fuel-related chemicals that evaporate easily
Tetrachloroethylene
Detected: 0.71 UG/L (ppb)
8/6/2025
Other
Additional substances tested that don't fit neatly into the categories above
Methyltert-Butylether
Detected: 5.6 UG/L (ppb)
8/6/2025
Filtration considerations: See the table below for how whole-house carbon, under-sink reverse osmosis, and under-sink carbon systems compare against what's actually on file here. These are general system types, not a specific product recommendation.