Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Bakersfield?
Yes, tap water in Bakersfield is safe to drink. Supplies from the City of Bakersfield and California Water Service meet EPA and state standards, with treatment installed for the legacy contaminants — arsenic and 1,2,3-TCP — found in some Kern County wells.
Water Source
Bakersfield is served by two main utilities: the City of Bakersfield's water system and California Water Service (Cal Water) Bakersfield, drawing on Kern River water treated at surface plants and a large network of groundwater wells over the Kern County basin.
EPA Compliance Status
Meets all federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards and California's stricter requirements. Wells with naturally occurring arsenic or legacy 1,2,3-TCP have been fitted with treatment (including granular activated carbon), blended, or removed from service.
Notable Contaminants & Context
- •1,2,3-TCP from legacy agricultural fumigants contaminated numerous Kern County wells; Cal Water and other suppliers installed carbon treatment funded partly by lawsuits against the manufacturers
- •Arsenic occurs naturally in some southern San Joaquin Valley groundwater and is treated or blended to meet the federal limit
- •Nitrates from farm runoff are a regional groundwater concern, monitored well by well
- •EWG flags TCP and chromium-6 against its stricter health guidelines, though delivered water meets legal limits
Water Quality Data
Key contaminants detected vs. regulatory limits. All values from the most recent published report — Source: California Water Service (Bakersfield) 2024 CCR.
| Contaminant | Detected | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine (total) | 0.9 mg/L | 4.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| Fluoride | 0.7 mg/L | 4.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| Lead (90th percentile) | 2.6 µg/L | 15.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| Nitrate (as N) | 3.8 mg/L | 10.0 mg/L | ✓ |
| TTHM (Total Trihalomethanes) | 18.4 µg/L | 80.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| HAA5 (Haloacetic Acids) | 12.1 µg/L | 60.0 µg/L | ✓ |
| Chromium-6 | 0.15 µg/L | 0.02 µg/L | ⚠ |
✓ = below limit ⚠ = above health goal ✗ = exceeds guideline
How It Compares
Bakersfield shares the Central Valley pattern seen in Fresno: compliant delivered water on top of a groundwater basin carrying decades-old agricultural chemistry, requiring ongoing well-level treatment that snowmelt-fed cities never need.
Tips
- •Check which utility serves your address — the city system and Cal Water publish separate annual reports
- •A carbon filter adds a margin against trace organics if you want one
- •Softener use is common for hardness but optional
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
The safety rating and guidance on this page draw on the following sources. See our full methodology.
- •US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations
- •EWG Tap Water Database
- •The utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- •WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality