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Nevada City, CA Tap Water Quality 2026

Water quality report for Nevada City, CA — PFAS, lead and copper results, violation history and state inspection findings from EPA SDWIS.

A look at Nevada City's drinking water using EPA enforcement records: violations, lead and copper results, PFAS sampling and state inspection findings.

Main Utility: City Of Nevada City PWSID: CA2910002 Updated: 2026 Q2
✅

No federal limits exceeded on record

Lead is 0.90 ppb, 6% of the action level and no violations are open. PFAS has never been sampled at this system.

B

Nevada City earns a B for water quality

Graded on violations and lead, with state inspection findings. PFAS not tested.

Lead: 0.90 ppb — 6% of the federal action level
PFAS never sampled at this system
1 violations since 2015, 1 health-based
No violations currently open
Nevada City's lead level vs. all California community water systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
Lead level: 0.90 ppb — 6% of the federal action level
✓ Lower lead than 92% of California utilities
Population Served
2593
~1325 connections
Water Source
Surface water
Drawn from surface water — SDWIS source code SW
Active Violations
0
1 since 2015, all resolved

Lead & Copper Testing

Lead (Pb)
90th percentile of tap samples collected across the distribution system
6% of EPA action level
0.90 ppb
Action level: 15 ppb
The 90th-percentile lead result is 0.90 ppb, 6% of the 15 ppb federal action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and it is measured across sampled taps rather than at any single home.

Contaminant Violations (2015–Present)

ContaminantTypeMeasuredLimitPeriodStatus
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule TREATMENT TECHNIQUE — — 2023 Resolved
Understanding violation types MCL violations mean a contaminant exceeded the federal maximum limit — the most serious type.
TT (Treatment Technique) violations mean required treatment procedures weren't followed, but don't necessarily mean contamination occurred.

Violation History

1 violations are on record since 2015, of which 1 were health-based. All have been resolved and none remain open.

About the Main Water System

Utility City Of Nevada City
PWSID CA2910002
Water source Surface water — Drawn from surface water — SDWIS source code SW
Population served 2,593
Service connections 1,325
Systems serving this area 2
Regulator State primacy agency
Data through 2026 Q2 — EPA SDWIS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nevada City tap water safe to drink? ▼
No federal limit is exceeded on record. No violations are currently open. Lead is 0.90 ppb, 6% of the action level.
Does Nevada City water have PFAS? ▼
This system has never been sampled for PFAS. EPA's national monitoring covered systems serving 3,300 people or more, so no results exist — which is not evidence that none is present.
Who supplies water to Nevada City? ▼
City Of Nevada City (PWSID CA2910002), one of 2 systems serving this area. Surface water. Drawn from surface water — SDWIS source code SW
When was this system last inspected? ▼
It was last inspected on 2025-04-03. No significant deficiencies were recorded.

What Should Nevada City Residents Do?

1
Read your annual water report
Your supplier publishes a Consumer Confidence Report each July covering the prior year.
2
Check for a lead service line
Lead reaches tap water mainly through service lines and household plumbing. Suppliers now publish an inventory identifying lead lines.
3
Flush before drinking
If water has sat in pipes more than six hours, run the cold tap for two minutes before drinking or cooking.

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