Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 19, 2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: STEPHEN BISE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
PREPARED BY: DELANEY FELIX, WATER QUALITY SUPERVISOR
AMANDA MUNOZ, WATER QUALITY LEAD WORKER
SUBJECT: WATER QUALITY REPORT ON PUBLIC HEALTH GOALS AND MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL GOALS
SUMMARY
Public Hearing to present the 2025 Water Quality Report which evaluates City drinking water quality for calendar years 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report compares water quality data with Public Health Goals (PHGs) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs), in accordance with state requirements.
PROPOSED MOTION
Receive and file.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion
Reject report
Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
None.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The California Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Environmental Protection Agency established goals for water quality in 1996 for various water constituents known as Public Health Goals (PHGs) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs). PHGs and MCLGs are water constituent levels which the state and federal government can theoretically guarantee no health risk exists. The PHGs and MCLGs are not enforceable standards.
The federal and state enforceable standards for water quality are Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) established at very conservative levels to provide protection to consumers against all but very low to negligible health risk. MCLs provide the regulatory definition of safe levels. The City of Fullerton meets all the MCLs for water quality and provides a safe and reliable water supply for customers. The City publishes all water quality constituents and test results annually in the City “Water Quality Report” available on the City website and sent to all Fullerton water customers upon request.
Legislation requires water purveyors to prepare a brief, written report every three years with information regarding “detection” of any constituents exceeding PHGs or MCLGs. The City must prepare the report and keep it on file but no requirement exists to send this report to any person or regulatory agency. Water purveyors must hold a public hearing to accept and respond to public comments in addition to preparing the report. This legislation gives water system customers access to information on water constituents below the enforceable mandatory MCLs and the cost to eliminate any trace of the constituents from drinking water, regardless of how minimal the risk. The Association of California Water Agencies developed the cost estimates based on current costs of similar treatment systems.
Staff determined the following constituents exceeded the respective PHG during the current regulatory compliance cycle (2022 to 2024). No constituent exceeded the respective MCL.
Constituent
Fullerton Results
PHG
MCL
Coliform
0 – 0.8%
0%
5%
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
0.5 – 2.0 ppb
0.06 ppb
5 ppb
Uranium
1.29 – 7.33 pCi/L
0.43 pCi/L
20 pCi/L
Perchlorate
<1 – 2.5 ppb
1.0 ppb
6.0 ppb
Arsenic
<2 – 7.4 ppb
0.004 ppb
10 ppb
Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
5.0 – 15.1 ppt
1.0 ppt
None*
Perfluorooctanoic Sulfonic Acid (PFOS)
7.1 – 34.9 ppt
0.007 ppt
None*
*Note: The California Environmental Protection Agency adopted an MCL in April 2024 that becomes effective April 2029 Staff attached the 2025 Report on the City Water Quality Relative to Public Health Goals and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (which includes water quality data from 2022, 2023 and 2024) for review. The report only communicates constituents with established PHGs and MCLGs from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) for the specified time period.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment 2 – 2025 Report on the City’s Water Quality
cc: Interim City Manager Eddie Manfro
Water Quality Report
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