Problems We Found In Long Beach, California Drinking Water

Analies Dyjak, M.A.  |  Hydroviv Research Analyst
**Updated March 2, 2022 to include current data

Our Water Nerds updated our assessment of Long Beach, California drinking water to include the most current data. Our team has aggregated water quality test data from Long Beach Water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and internal data that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature. With this information, we're able to build a filter that is optimized to remove contaminants in Long Beach drinking water.

Source Of Long Beach Drinking Water

Long Beach drinking water comes from both surface and groundwater sources. 58% is supplied from local groundwater wells in the Long Beach and Lakewood area. The remaining 42% is imported surface water from the Colorado River. This surface water is delivered through the Colorado River Aqueduct, originating at Lake Havasu.

Arsenic In Long Beach Drinking Water

Arsenic is a toxic metal that is known to cause cancer and other health issues. Unlike lead, which distributes into water from plumbing, arsenic comes from the source water itself. Although the city of Long Beach is in compliance with EPA water quality standards, but it's important to acknowledge that EPA standards for arsenic balances the toxicity against the costs of removing it from drinking water. According to the most recent report, the highest concentration detected in Long Beach drinking water is 2.5 parts per billion. Hydroviv recommends that anyone with more than 1 part per billion take steps to remove arsenic from their water.

Lead In Long Beach Drinking Water

Lead enters tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (like what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. Homes built before 1986 were most likely built using lead pipes and plumbing. The EPA, CDC, and American Academy of Pediatrics, all acknowledge that there is no safe level of lead for children.

Chromium 6 In Long Beach Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. In recent years, the concentration of chromium 6 in Long Beach tap water averaged 63 parts per trillion. This level is 3 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk. California tried to set a Public Health Goal (PHG) of 20 parts per trillion for chromium 6 in drinking water. After a lawsuit in 2017, the PHG was redacted because municipality were unable to meet the standards.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Long Beach Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not currently regulated very well, the EPA has admitted that they are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Still Have Questions About Long Beach Drinking Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for Long Beach, but all of our our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of contaminants (including lead).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Long Beach tap water, or just have questions about water quality in general, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook. We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople).

Please Share This City of Long Beach Water Quality Report On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!