Water System Report CA

City of Fountain Valley

EPA ID: CA3010069 ยท 56,747 people served ยท 5 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for City of Fountain Valley (CA3010069): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. Federal monitoring records show zero violations at City of Fountain Valley for the reporting cycles they cover, at a utility serving approximately 56,747 residents.

Data: EPA SDWIS

B ยท 75
Avg Safety Score
56,747
People Served
5
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Surface Water
Water Source
0.006 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2024-12-31)
Zone 3
County Radon Potential ยท Low
0
Contaminants Flagged
$666K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for City of Fountain Valley Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary - average Home Safety grade of mapped ZIPs: B

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$82,703
Median Household Income
335,682
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
24%
Disadvantaged Population
30th
Poverty Percentile
10th
Energy Burden Percentile
83%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with City of Fountain Valley have a median household income of $82,703 and about 335,682 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 83% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

๐ŸŒŠ Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

City of Fountain Valley's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
40th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
60th
Superfund Site Proximity

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.

Infrastructure Risk

57 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Galvanized Steel or Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
10 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 85% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

PFAS in ZIP Codes This System Serves

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been reported in samples from water systems associated with the ZIP codes in this system's area. These results can come from other water systems serving the same ZIP codes; check the UCMR5 section for any results reported for this system. 23 detections recorded. 9 detections are above the level of a federal PFAS MCL (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS), with compliance required from 2029.

State PFAS values in our reference data (state notification level (not a limit)); check current state rules: PFOA: 4 ppt, PFOS: 4 ppt, PFHxS: 3 ppt, PFBS: 500 ppt, PFHxA: 1000 ppt
Health concern: Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with some cancers and with immune and developmental effects; effects differ by compound. Many PFAS break down very slowly in the environment.
Recommended filter: An activated carbon filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 or a reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for the PFAS listed in its certification. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in California

C 0 violations
Gswc-san Dimas
56,538 people
C 0 violations
Alco Water Service
56,253 people
B 0 violations
Rowland Water District
56,100 people
B 0 violations
C 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment
PFAS Treatment $580
Total Estimated Cost $580

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.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $580 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

City of Fountain Valley (EPA ID: CA3010069) is a community water system in California that serves approximately 56,747 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 5 ZIP codes across 4 communities.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: B (75/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 1 of 5 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.

Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.006 mg/L No 2024-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

5 of 5 ZIP records with known zones are in EPA Radon Zone 3.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by CA or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for City of Fountain Valley (CA3010069) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of Fountain Valley water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for City of Fountain Valley in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does City of Fountain Valley serve?

City of Fountain Valley serves approximately 56,747 people across 5 ZIP codes in California.

Where does City of Fountain Valley get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected; the table compares each one with the EPA MCL where one exists (April 2024 rule, compliance required from 2029) and with this state's enforceable standard where one exists.

Samples collected
464
Detections
1
Latest sample
2/14/2024
Highest analyte
PFHxS: 3.5 ppt
Analyte Max detected EPA MCL (compliance required from 2029) Status
PFHxS 3.5 ppt 10 ppt Below EPA MCL

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from City of Fountain Valley safe to drink? ▼
City of Fountain Valley has 0 recorded violations since 2021. The B shown is a ZIP-area score, not a grade for this utility; see the violation table for what was violated.
Should I use a water filter? ▼
No EPA drinking-water violations since 2021 are on record for City of Fountain Valley; this page does not establish contaminant levels at your tap. That is a compliance record, not a guarantee about the water at your tap; a certified filter can target a specific contaminant you are concerned about.
How many people does City of Fountain Valley serve? ▼
City of Fountain Valley serves approximately 56,747 people with drinking water across 5 ZIP codes.
What is City of Fountain Valley's water source? ▼
City of Fountain Valley draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in City of Fountain Valley's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.006 mg/L (sample period ending 2024-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with City of Fountain Valley? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to City of Fountain Valley have a median household income of $82,703 (Census ZIP-code estimate). Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does City of Fountain Valley get its water? ▼
City of Fountain Valley's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap. Based on the available data, the modeled source-contamination category is moderate; test local water to assess actual exposure.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). City of Fountain Valley, CA: Serves 57K People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ca3010069/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-ca3010069,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{City of Fountain Valley, CA: Serves 57K People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ca3010069/}
}
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