PFAS in California Drinking Water

Source dataset

All records on this page are drawn from the EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) occurrence dataset, published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. UCMR 5 required large public water systems (serving more than 3,300 people) to sample for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023 and 2025. EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data

Sampling methodology

Samples were collected at entry points to the distribution system (EPTDS) as required by UCMR 5 regulations. Each utility collected at least four quarterly samples during the monitoring period. Results represent concentrations at the specified sample point on the sample date — not a continuous measure of system-wide levels.

Unit normalization

Source data may express concentrations in micrograms per liter (µg/L, also written ug/L or ppb) or nanograms per liter (ng/L, also called ppt). All values on this page are normalized to ng/L (ppt) for consistent comparison with EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Conversion: 1 µg/L = 1,000 ng/L. Records with unrecognized units are excluded from numeric aggregates and flagged in the raw export.

What "detection" means

A result is counted as a detection when the EPA reports it as "Detected above MRL" — meaning the analyte was measured at or above the minimum reporting limit (MRL) for that analyte. Non-detect results (below MRL) are included in total record counts but not in detection counts. Detection is a monitoring outcome, not a compliance determination.

Validation and exclusion criteria

Records are included only where validated = true and suppressed = false. Records flagged during ingestion for format errors, duplicate source hashes, or missing required fields are excluded.

Update cadence

Pages are regenerated every 24 hours via Next.js ISR. The underlying dataset is updated when EPA publishes new UCMR 5 occurrence data. The source retrieval date shown on each record reflects the date the EPA file was last downloaded to our system.