Yorba Linda, California

What is the Water Quality in Yorba Linda, California?

Compared to other US cities, Yorba Linda water quality ranks in the high range for contamination excluding Lead.

Most of their 35 contaminants have cancer-causing attributes.

• Arsenic is at extremely high levels: 812x health guidelines.
• Haloacetic acids (HAA5) are at extremely high levels: 87x health guidelines.
• Haloacetic acids (HAA9) are at extremely high levels: 433x health guidelines.
  • These are both byproducts of the chlorine treatment process most water supplies go through.
• PFBS is at very high levels: 13x health guidelines.
• PFHXS is at very high levels: 12x health guidelines.
• PFOA is at extremely high levels: 2,974x health guidelines.
• PFOS is at extremely high levels: 35x health guidelines.
  • These are all considered “forever chemicals” by the EPA and are being studied extensively.

Let’s look closer at what’s in Yorba Linda water.

What Else is in Yorba Linda water?

Here are 5 more dangerous chemical compounds in your water and what health issues they can potentially cause:

1. Chloroform – Potential effect: Cancer
2. Hexavalent chromium – Potential effect: Cancer
3. Nitrate – Potential effect: Cancer
4. Total trihalomethanes – Potential effect: Cancer
5. Uranium – Potential effect: Cancer

These are five of the 35 contaminants analyzed by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org).

18 of these contaminants are rated as exceeding EWG Health Guidelines.

Does Yorba Linda have Lead contamination?

No, Yorba Linda does not currently have lead in its water. The most recent Lead samples collected in 2019 showed concentrations of 0.0 parts per billion (ppb).

The legal limit for lead is 15 parts per billion. Being well-below this level is a good thing.

• Concentrations between 3.8 ppb and 15 ppb put a formula-fed baby at risk of elevated blood lead levels. Read more about the symptoms of Lead in water.

There is no safe level of lead for humans.

• The good news is that 99.99% of the lead can be removed.

See the What Can You Do? section below to learn how to filter out contaminants.

Where does Yorba Linda’s water come from?

Yorba Linda’s water comes from the Carbon Creek watershed.

Two of the four EPA assessed water sources in the Carbon Creek watershed are in Unknown condition. These are:

• Carbon Canyon Creek
• Carbon Creek

Ideally, a water source would be rated in Good condition. Anaheim Lake and Carbon Canyon are in Good condition.

Whether a water source is in Impaired or Good condition refers to the quality of these uses:

1. Drinking Water
2. Aquatic Life
3. Fish and Shellfish Consumption
4. Recreation

Learn more from How’s My Waterway

See below for what you can do to improve Yorba Linda’s water.

What Can You Do?

Information about water quality in Yorba Linda can be surprising.

But there are things you can do in your home to clean up your water.

To Remove Lead and Other Contaminants In Your Home:

There is one solution that beats Brita, PUR, and expensive whole house systems.

• It costs less per gallon.
• Needs fewer filter changes.
• And it doesn’t make your water taste weird.

• Use Berkey filters with activated carbon to filter out at least 79% of contaminants in your drinking water. (Berkey Light and Travel Berkey are the only types available in California.)
  • This includes Arsenic, Haloacetic acids, PFOS, and PFOA.
  • Berkey filters can also remove up to 99.99% of any Lead in Yorba Linda water.
  • Brita can filter 20 contaminants and Lead depending on the filter.
  • Note: We may receive a commission if you decide to purchase filters through links on this page.
• To filter out 32 of the 35 contaminants, consider a Reverse Osmosis water filtration system for your house.
  • These are more expensive than pitchers to purchase, but can be more effective.
  • They have the benefit of filtering out heavy hitters like:
    • Arsenic
    • Barium – toxicity
    • Bromodichloromethane
    • Bromoform
    • Chloroform
    • Fluoride
    • Haloacetic acids
    • Hexavalent chromium
    • Nitrate
    • Nitrite
    • PFBS
    • PFDA
    • PFHPA
    • PFHxA
    • PFHXS
    • PFNA
    • PFOA
    • PFOS
    • Strontium
    • Total trihalomethanes – byproduct of chlorination*
    • Uranium

*Chlorination is an effective method of disinfecting/treating drinking water. You can then use a water filter to reduce the effects of chlorination byproducts to get the safest, cleanest water possible.

In Your Community:

Contact your local government officials and put pressure on them to invest in cleaner waterways and upgraded city water filtration and treatment.

Go to: https://www.yorbalindaca.gov/ to find contact information for your local officials.

Water Quality in Other California Cities

California Water Quality Page