Water Quality: Palm Springs, CA
2 water systems • 74,837 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Palm Springs is served by 2 public water systems with a combined service population of 74,837 people, and has 74 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 5 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Palm Springs's violation count is 54% above the national average for California. Contaminants associated with violations include Gross Alpha, Selenium, Stage 2 DBP.
Contaminants Found
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Hair loss, nail brittleness, and nervous system damage at elevated concentrations.
Common source: Natural geological deposits, mining discharges, oil refinery waste
EPA limit: 0.05 mg/L (50 ppb)
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that increase cancer risk and may cause adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Chlorine disinfection reacting with natural organic matter in source water
EPA limit: TTHM: 0.080 mg/L; HAA5: 0.060 mg/L
Water Systems Serving Palm Springs
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DESERT WATER AGENCY | CA3310005 | Surface Water | 74,807 | 5 |
| MAMMOTH POOL MOBILE HOME PARK | CA2000589 | Groundwater | 30 | 69 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in California
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.