Consumer Confidence Report
EN
ESPANOL
Este informe
contiene
informacion
muy importante
sober la calidad
del agua que
usted consume.
Por favor
de traducirlo,
o hable con
alguien que
lo entiende
bien.
How Much Water Do We Use?
In 2022, the residents and visitors of
Pismo Beach used approximately 1770
acre feet or 577 million gallons of water.
The sources of drinking water (both tap
water and bottled water) include rivers,
lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs,
and wells. As water travels over the
surface of the land or through the ground,
it dissolves naturally occurring minerals
and can pick up substances resulting from
the presence of animals or human activity.
Your 2022 Water Quality Report
The City of Pismo Beach is pleased to present this annual report
describing the quality of your drinking water. Included are details
about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how
it compares to State standards. We sincerely hope this report
gives you the information you seek and have a right to know.
Where the Residents and
Consumers of Pismo Beach
get their water?
Surface Water
Lopez Lake – The City is entitled to receive
892 acre feet per year, approximately 291
million gallons of water.
State Water
The City is entitled to receive 1240 acre
feet per year, approximately 404 million
gallons of water.
Groundwater
Santa Maria Ground Water Basin – The
City is entitled to extract 700 acre feet per
year, approximately 228 million gallons of
water.
Consumer Confidence Report 2022 Pismo Beach Water System
Pismo Beach Water Division (805)773-7054 www.pismobeach.org
Delivering Excellence
The City of Pismo Beach Water System met all Federal and State
standards for drinking water during 2022.
WATER CONSERVATION REMINDER
AVOID WASTEFUL USE: www.ThinkH20now.com
EN
ESPANOL
Este informe
contiene
informacion
muy importante
sobre la calidad
del agua que
usted consume.
Por favor
de traducirlo,
o hable con
alguien que
lo entiende
bien.
Consumer Confidence Report 2021 Pismo Beach Water System
Pismo Beach Water Division (805)773-7054 www.pismobeach.org
Delivering Excellence
Contaminants that may potentially be present in untreated
source water, surface water and well water include:
• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from
sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and
wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring
or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges,
oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as
agricultural, urban storm runoff, and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic
chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum
production, from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which occur naturally or from oil and gas production
and mining activities.
Other Health risks
While your drinking water meets the federal and state standard for arsenic, it does
contain low levels of arsenic. The arsenic standard balances the current
understanding of arsenic’s possible health affects against the costs of removing
arsenic from drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues
to research the health effect of low levels of arsenic which is a mineral known to
cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects
such as skin damage and circulatory problems.
WATER
CONSERVATION
REMINDER
AVOID
WASTEFUL
USE
Visit:
ThinkH20now.com
Rebates
Water Restrictions
Conservation tips
Resources
Chlorate above the drinking water Notification Level
The County routinely monitors for the presence of chlorite and chlorate, disinfection byproducts
from the use of chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant in the water treatment process. Water sample
results on 11 /14/22 showed chlorate levels as high as 0.99 mg/L in the water distribution system.
This is above the notification level of 0.8 mg/L. Although this was not an emergency, as our
customer, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.
What is a Notification Level?
The California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water establishes
healthbased advisory levels, called "notification levels", as needed. Notification levels are used
to provide information to public water systems and others about certain nonregulated chemicals
in drinking water that lack maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
Monitoring for chemicals with notification levels is not required for Lopez Project. The County of
San Luis Obispo monitors for chlorate because it is a disinfection byproduct formed resulting from
the use of chlorine dioxide. Chlorine dioxide is used as a primary disinfectant at the Lopez Water
Treatment Plant.
What should I do?
This was not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. The
chlorate notification level was established in 2002. Chlorate is considered noncancerous but may
contribute to pituitary or thyroid gland issues. This chemical may be given a maximum
contaminant level at some time in the future once more information becomes available on the
possible risk to human health. If you have other health concerns about the consumption of this
water, you may wish to consult your doctor.
What happened? What was done?
The County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works changed disinfectants in the
distribution system from chloramines to free chlorine on November 8th, 2022 in order to use a
stronger disinfectant in the water mains for routine maintenance. This is considered a best
management practice in the water industry. When adding extra sodium hypochlorite to water
disinfected using chlorine dioxide, a reaction may occur which can shift the ratio of the disinfection
byproduct from chlorite to chlorate. Additionally, concentrated chlorine solutions may contain or
produce chlorate levels as the solution degrades in storage.
On November 29, 2022, the treatment plant returned to using a combined chlorine (chloramines)
in the distribution system.
2022 Pismo Beach Water System
Pismo Beach Water Division (805)773-7054 www.pismobeach.org
100%
0.05-0.15
0
Table 2 - Microbiological Contaminants
Contaminant (reporting units)MCL PHG(MCLG) or
(MRDLG)Range Average Range Average Range Average Potential Source of Contamination
Total Coliform Bacteria (MPN/100mL)>5.0% of monthly
samples are positive 0 -----ND 0 0.00%___ND Naturally present in the environment
Heterotrophic plate count (CFU/mL)TT = adequate
disinfection < 500 ----ND-420 9.1 0-98 2 ND-150 3.3 Naturally present in the environment
Aluminum (ppm)1 (b)0.6 ND-0.064 0.027 ND-0.11 0.054 ND-.025 ND Erosion of natural deposits; residue from some
surface water treatment presses
Arsenic (ppb)10 0.004 2.3-6.3 3.5 ND ND 3.4-6.0 5.3 Erosion of natural deposits, runoff from orchards;
glass and electronic production
Fluoride (ppm)2.0 1.0 ----0.22 ND ND ----0.370 Erosion of natural deposits
Barium(ppm)1 2 ----0.038 NS (I)NS (I)----0.034 Discharge of oil drilling
Gross Alpha Particle Activity (pCi/L)15 0 3.1-4.7 3.9 4.9 4.9 1.08-4.92 3 Decay of natural and man-made deposits
Contaminant (reporting units)MCL PHG(MCLG) or
(MRDLG)Range Average Range Average Range Average Potential Source of Contamination
Chlorite (ppm)1 0.05 ND-0.59 0.31 --------0.28-0.86 0.568 By-product of drinking water disinfection
Chlorate (ppm)RAL = 800 ----120-920 296 -------- ----- -----By-product of drinking water disinfection
Chlorine Dioxide (ppb)MRDL = 800 as CI02 800 ND-110 ND --------ND-390 136 Drinking water disinfectant added for treatment
Chloride (ppm)500 --------56 74-145 104 ----40 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits
Color (CU)15 --------2 ND ND ----1 Naturally occurring organic materials
Copper (ppm)1.0 --------0.084 ND ND ----ND Erosion of natural deposits
Corrosivity (LI)Noncorrosive ------------12.2 12.2 --------Balance of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen in water
Geosmin (ppm)NA NA --------ND-2 0.3 --------An organic compound mainly produced by bacterial
growth in surface water
Odor - Threshold (TON)3 ----ND-3.0 1.1 ND ND ND-3.0 1.3 Naturally occurring organic materials
Specific Conductance (uS/cm)1600 --------810 585-937 701 ----890 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits
Sulfate (mg/L)500 --------110 96 96 ----160 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits
Turbidity (NTU)5 units ---- ----0.08 ND-0.25 6% ----0.7 Soil Runoff
Total Dissolved Solids (ppm)1000 ---- ----610 380 380 ----480 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits
Alkalinity as CaCO3 (ppm)NA NA ----181 68-102 80 ----275 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
Calcium (ppm)NA NA 61-100 74 29 29 91-100 97 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
Hardness as CaCO3 NA NA 280-470 340 104-158 127 410-470 438 Generally found in ground and surface water
Magnesium (ppm)NA NA 31-54 37 17 17 44-51 48 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
pH NA NA ----8.2 7.2-8.9 8.4 ----8.08 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
Potassium (ppm)NA NA --------3.6 3.6 --------Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
Sodium (ppm)NA NA ----52 76 76 ___40 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater
influence
Total Organic Carbon (f) (TOC) (ppm)TT NA --------1.9-4.5 2.9 --------Various natural and man-made sources
2022 Water Quality Data for Lopez Treatment Plant / State Water Project
The number of violations of any surface water treatment requirement
Turbidity (NTU) measurement during the year
Lowest monthly percentage of samples that met Turbidity Performance Standard 1
0.08-0.09
0
100%
Treatment Technique for Central Coast Water
Authority (State Water) Conventional Treatment
Contaminants with a Primary Drinking Water Standard
Treatment Technique for
Lopez Project Alternative Filtration
Table 1 - Treatment of surface water sources, combined filter Effluent Turbidity
Turbidity Performance Standard - Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of
the effectiveness of the filtration system. Turbidity of combined filter effluent water must:
1. Lopez 0.15 & CCWA 0.3, less than or equal to in 95% of measurements in a month
2. Not exceed 1.0 NTU for more than eight consecutive hours
Table 7 - Contaminants with no MCL's
Table 6 - Regulated Contaminants with Secondary MCL's
Table 5 - Disinfectant Byproducts, Disinfectant Residuals, and Disinfection Byproduct Precursors
Table 4 - Radioactive Contaminants
Table 3 - Inorganic Contaminants
Lopez WTP Delivered (Lopez and
State Water)CCWA PPWTP
Delivered (Lopez and
State Water)CCWA PPWTP Lopez WTP
Contaminants Highest No. of
Detections MCLG
Total Coliform Bacteria 0 0
Fecal Coliform Bacteria of E. Coli 0 0
Contaminants
(CCR UNITS)No. of Samples --No. of Sites
Exceeding RAL RAL PHG
Lead (ppb)22 0 15 0.2
Copper (ppm)22 0 1.3 0.3
Contaminants
(CCR UNITS)No. of Samples --No. of Sites
Exceeding RAL RAL PHG
Lead (ppb)10 0 15 0.2
PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS WELL #5 WELL #23
PRIMARY CONTAMINANT MCL MCLG
PHG RANGE RANGE
Arsenic (ppb)10 0.004 4 3
Chromium (total) (ppb)50 100 ug/l 20 ND Erosion of natural deposits
Nitrate (as N) (ppm)10 10 ND 1.5
Nitrite (as N) (ppm)1 1 ND ND
Fluoride (ppm)2 1 0.10 0.2
MTBE (ug/l)13 13 ND ND
Gross Alpha Particle Activity (pCi/I)15 NA 6.63 10.1
Uranium (pCi/I)20 0.43 2.15 4.38
WELL #5 WELL #23
SECONDARY CONTAMINANT RANGE RANGE
Chloride (ppm)84 45
Iron (ppb)140 ND
Manganese (ppb)30 20
Sulfate (as SO4) (ppm)174 167
Total Dissolved Solids (ppm)840 650
Zinc (ppb)50 ND
WELL #5 WELL #23
CONTAMINANT RANGE RANGE
Total Alkalinity as CaCO3 (ppm)440 390
Calcium (ppm)127 103
Sodium (ppm)57 50
Magnesium (ppm)52 47
WELL #5 WELL #23
Aggressive Index 12.1 12.7
Specific Conductance (micromhos)1290 1090
Total Hardness (ppm) (as CaCO3)531 450
pH (units)7.3(g)7.8
Turbidity (NTU)*****0.3(g)0.5
MCL MRDL RANGE
80 NA 31-74
60 NA 24-39
4.0 4.0 1.1-2.18
UNREGULATED CHEMICALS Avg. Level
Detected MCL
Boron (ppm)0.2 NS
Vanadium (ppb)3 NS
2022 WATER QUALITY DATA FOR PISMO BEACH
NA
MCL=1600
NA
NA
Runoff; leaching from natural from natural deposits; industrial
Soil runoff; leaching from natural deposits
Improper waste disposal
POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTION SOURCE
WITHOUT A DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
500
1000
5000
MCL
SECONDARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
Substances that form ions when in water; seawater influence
Generally found in ground and surface water
NA
Soil runoff; leaching from natural deposits
ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS
MCL=5
Runoff; leaching from natural deposits; seawater
Runoff; leaching from natural deposits; seawater
Runoff; leaching from natural deposits; seawater
Runoff; leaching from natural deposits; seawater
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
N/A
Chlorine Residual
100
50
Naturally-occurring; element found in soil and water in the form of boric acid and sodium
tetraborate
Naturally-occurring; has been found in association with hazardous waste sites
Typical Source of ContaminantsRALRange of Detections Low-
High
Table #5 - WELL SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING DETECTION OF UNREGULATED CHEMICALS
ND-.21
By-product of drinking water chlorination
By-product of drinking water chlorination
Disinfectant
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
***** Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. The City monitors this because it is a good indicator of water quality. High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfectants.
DISINFECTANT RESIDUAL AND BY-PRODUCTS
Total Trihalomethanes (ppb)
Total Haloacetic Acids (ppb)
Runoff; leaching from natural deposits; seawater
Natural or industrial
Natural or industrial
MCL
500
300
50
POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTION SOURCE
Erosion of natural deposits
Erosion of natural deposits
Naturally present in the environment
Human and animal fecal waste
POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTION SOURCE
Erosion of natural deposits
Erosion of natural deposits; water additive that promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Runoff and leaching from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks and sewage; erosion of natural deposits
Table #3 - 2017 LEAD SAMPLING RESULTS FOR SCHOOLS K-12 (2 SCHOOLS TESTED)
90th Percentile Level
Detected Typical Source of Contaminant
3.5 Internal corrosion of household plumbing system; discharges from industrial manufacturers;
erosion of natural deposits
Runoff and leaching from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks and sewage; erosion of natural deposits
gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether
Table #1 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WATER SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING DETECTION OF COLIFORM BACTERIA
Table #2 - 2020 HOME SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING THE DETECTION OF LEAD AND COPPER
Table #4 - GROUND WATER SAMPLING TEST RESULTS FOR DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS
No. of Months in Violation
0
0
90th Percentile Level
Detected
ND
0.238
Internal corrosion of household plumbing system; discharges from industrial manufacturers;
erosion of natural deposits
Internal corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from
wood preservatives
Typical Source of Contaminant
MCL
More than 1 positive monthly sample
A routine sample and a repeat sample are total Coliform
positive, and one is also fecal Coliform or E. Coli
Typical Source of Contaminant
(g) Laboratory sample (h) Well #23 not in service for 2019 (I) not sampled in reporting year
Maximum Contaminant Level
(MCL)
Regulatory Action Level (RAL)
Maximum Contaminant Level
Goal (MCLG and Public Health
Goal (PHG)
Maximum Residual Disinfectant
Level (MRDL)
Maximum Residual Disinfectant
Level Goal (MRDLG)
Primary Drinking Water
Standards (PDWS)
Primary Drinking Water
Standards (SDWS)
Treatment Technique (TT)
Regulatory Notification Level
(NL)
Running Annual Average (RAA)
Not Collected (NC)
Not Reported (NR)
Not Standard (NS)
Not Detected (ND)
Not Analyzed (NA)
WAIVED
pCi/L
ppm
ppb
uS/cm
CU
NS
CFU/ml
NTU
TON
USEPA
CDC
LI
LopezWTP
CCWA
PPWTP
TOC
FOR THE WEB BROWSERS: www.pismobeach.org www.thinkh2onow.com
USEPA/CDC Provides guidelines on appropriate means to the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium
and other microbial contaminants, for information call - Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-
4791).
This hotline operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
For more information contact:
• The Office of Ground Water and Drinking at EPA
• www.water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm
• American Water Works Association http://www.awwa.org
• County Board of Supervisors http://slocounty.ca.gov/bos.html
State and Lopez Water Footnotes:
(a) Distribution system samples. (b) Aluminum has a Secondary MCL of 0.2 ppm
(c) Compliance based on the running annual average of samples computed quarterly. (d) TOCs are taken at the treatment plant's combined filter effluent.
(e) The MRDL for chlorine is based on a running annual average of distribution system samples. (f) Increases in odor have been associated with algae blooms. During times of increased
algae blooms an odor in the algae is controlled with algaecides and the odor is reduced to acceptable levels by treating water with powder activated carbon.
The highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water
The concentration of a contaminat that, if exceeded, triggers treatement or other requirements that a water system must follow
The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs are set by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency and PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency
The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer's faucet
The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
MCLs for contaminants that affect health along with their monitoring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements. Primary MCLs are set as close
to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible
MCLs for contaminants to protect the taste, odor, or appearance of the drinking water. Contaminants with SDWSs do not affect health at the MCL levels
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment of other requirement which a water system must follow
An arithmetic average of all sample is computed quarterly. The quarterly average is then averaged against the previous three quarters worth of data to provide an
annual running average. The highest running average over a twelve month period used for compliance
A sample was not collected for this contaminant
Contaminant was not reported
Contaminant for which there is no established MCL
Contaminant is not detectable at testing limit
Contaminant was not analyzed
On September 4, 2007, the CDPH granted the TOC waiver to the Lopez WTP. The facility upgraded to Membrane Treatment
PICOCURIES PER LITER (A MEASURE OF RADIOACTIVITY)
PARTS PER MILLION, OR MILLIGRAMS PER LITER (MG/L)
PARTS PER BILLION, OR MICROGRAMS PER LITER (G/L)
MICROMHOS PER CENTIMETER (UNIT OF SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE OF WATER)
COLOR UNITS
NO STANDARD
COLONY FORMING UNITS PER MILLILITER
NEPHELOMETRIC TURBIDITY UNIT
THRESHOLD ODOR NUMBER
UNITED STATES ENVIORNMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL HOTLINE (1-800-426-4791)
LANGELIER INDEX; NONCORROSIVE = ANY POSITIVE VALUE, CORROSIVE = ANY NEGATIVE VALUE
LOPEZ WATER TREATMENT PLANT
CENTRAL COAST WATER AUTHORITY
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components
associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Pismo beach is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing
components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for
drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead drinking water testing methods, and steps you can take to
minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov//lead.
POLANIO PASS WATER TREATMENT PLANT
TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA, and the California State Water Reserouces Control Board, prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.
More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's State Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-416-4791). Some
people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water then the general population. Immune-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons
who have undergone organ transplant, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system deficiencies, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk of infections. These people should seek
advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
You can provide input regarding water quality
decisions in your area.
• The drinking water source assessment and protection program was completed in September
2002, both are on file at the Water Division.
• The public can address concerns to the Public Works Water Division. Contact Brandon Shea at
(805) 773-7054
• The City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at City Hall.
• Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre la calidad del agua que usted consume. Por favor
de traducirlo, o hable con alguien que lo entiende bien.