City of Arcata
EPA ID: CA1210001 · 20,875 people served · 5 ZIP codes
Although compliance varies widely among water utilities nationally, City of Arcata stands out with zero EPA violations over five consecutive monitoring years, delivering safe tap water to 20,875 residents and showing no enforcement activity across the entire reporting span.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Arcata Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The City of Arcata serves a community with a median household income of $79,703 and an estimated 48,986 residents across its service area. Approximately 71% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?
City of Arcata's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 2% of homes in Humboldt County, California rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in California
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
City of Arcata, (EPA ID: CA1210001) is a community water system in California that serves approximately 20,875 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 5 ZIP codes across 4 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: B (82/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 4 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 1 additional ZIP inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Arcata (CA1210001) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Arcata water safe to drink?
Based on EPA records, City of Arcata has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.
How many people does City of Arcata serve?
City of Arcata serves approximately 20,875 people across 5 ZIP codes in California.
Where does City of Arcata get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from City of Arcata Public Water System #1210001 Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: City of Arcata Public Water System #1210001 Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
A Drinking Water Source Assessment conducted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and completed in August 2002 classified HBMWD’s Ranney Wells as a groundwater source which is most vulnerable to the following activities not associated with any detected contaminants; lumber processing and manufacturing, low density septic systems, wood preserving/treating and wood/pulp/paper processing and mills. Due to the detection of aluminum, the Ranney Wells are considered vulnerable to activities that may have contributed to or caused the release of aluminum. In particular, aluminum is believed to be associated with the residue from some surface water treatment processes and erosion of natural deposits. Due to the detection of barium, Ranney Wells are considered vulnerable to activities that may have contributed to or caused the release of barium. In particular, barium is believed to be associated with discharges of oil drilling wastes and metal refineries, and erosion of natural deposits. A Drinking Water Source Assessment completed by CDPH in February 2002 classified City of Arcata’s Heindon Well as a groundwater source which is considered most vulnerable to the following activities not associated with any detected contaminants; high density septic systems. Due to the detection of barium, Heindon Groundwater Well is considered vulnerable to activities that may have contributed to or caused the release of barium. In particular, barium is believed to be associated with discharges of oil drilling wastes and metal refineries, and erosion of natural deposits.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Arcata Public Water System #1210001 Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from City of Arcata Public Water System #1210001 Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.