El Rio Tap Water Quality Report
El Rio's water has 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. Consider using a certified water filter for additional protection.
Other systems listed for El Rio with results above guidelines: CAL AMERICAN WC - RIO PLAZA (1 above guidelines), UNITED WTR CONS DIST (3 above guidelines)
People Served
200,232
Health-based violations since 2020
0
OXNARD WATER DEPT. EPA SDWA violation data as of Q2 2026 (downloaded 2026-07-09).
Latest sample on file
Oct 2025 · OXNARD WATER DEPT
Utilities publish newer results in their annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report).
Is El Rio Tap Water Safe to Drink?
We recommend using a certified water filter for additional protection, especially for vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. El Rio's water has 2 contaminants above EPA health-based guidelines (MCLGs), while it meets federal legal limits.
OXNARD WATER DEPT, El Rio's water system, serves 200,232 people. 3 other systems are listed for El Rio. Each system's results are listed under its own name, never added to OXNARD WATER DEPT's. Water quality testing is conducted regularly and reported to the EPA. The latest sample on file for OXNARD WATER DEPT is from Oct 2025.
In EPA's 2023–2026 UCMR 5 testing, OXNARD WATER DEPT measured lithium at up to 39 µg/L, which EPA counts as above its health reference level of 10 µg/L. That level is a screening value EPA uses to decide what to study further, not a legal limit, and this result does not change this page's water-quality summary.
Boil water advisories are issued by water systems and state agencies, and they change from day to day. Boil water advisories in California
El Rio Water Service Areas
What these numbers actually mean for El Rio, CA
We read El Rio, CA’s published record and send you a short report — which findings warrant a decision, which to ignore, and what to do about it. Including when the answer is nothing.
- 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs and 3 contaminants with an EPA health goal detected in some samples (no level on file)
- 255 results on file
- 23 PFAS compounds on record
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Recommended Water Filters for El Rio
Based on El Rio's water quality data, these NSF-certified filters are recommended to remove contaminants above EPA MCLGs.
Culligan
ZeroWater
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
1.9 gpm
Daily Production
1 gpd
Highlights:
- Compact design
- Easy to set up
- Affordable
- NSF-42, NSF-53, NSF-401 certified
Removes 19 contaminants:
+14 more
Strontium, Molybdenum, Fluoride, Uranium, Lead, Total PFAS, Chlorine, 25, Phosphorus, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Carbonate, Magnesium, Sodium
Santevia
Bath Filter
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
0.36 gpm
Highlights:
- Organic cotton design reduces plastic used in construction
- Affordable upfront & ongoing cost
- The only bath filter that removed 100% chlorine with “normal” faster faucet flow
Removes 1 contaminants:
Waterdrop
A1
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
1 gpm
Highlights:
- Performance certified
- Lower price than Philips
- Hot water dispensing
- Compact design
Removes 5 contaminants:
Whirlpool Corporation
W11256135
NSF Certified:
Capacity
1001 gal
Filter Life
3 mo
Flow Rate
0.7 gpm
Removes 19 contaminants:
+14 more
Benzene, Carbofuran, Chlorine (Free), Chlorine (Total), Chlorine Dioxide, Chlorobenzene, Cryptosporidium, Ethylbenzene, Lead, Mercury, Metolachlor, Tetrachloroethylene, Toxaphene, Turbidity
Test Your Water Quality
Professional laboratory testing provides accurate, detailed analysis of your drinking water.
SimpleLab
Advanced Home Water Test
$269
Comprehensive water analysis testing over 200 contaminants including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemical compounds.
Tap Score
Advanced Microplastics Test
$829
Cutting-edge testing for microplastics particles in drinking water using advanced laboratory techniques.
Tap Score
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9) Test
$275
Tests for disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water treatment.
What El Rio's water readings can explain
Utility-reported data for El Rio includes sulfate and a chlorine-based disinfectant — the readings behind these common tap water questions. We publish a city-level hardness figure for El Rio, resolved from its water systems where they report one and estimated from county sampling where they do not. Each page starts with the hot-tap and cold-tap check, then shows what your own water system reported.
On a private well near El Rio? Public-water results do not apply to private wells. See Ventura County well water testing and USGS risk data — modeled arsenic, nitrate, and the tests to run.
Water softener cost and installation in El Rio
El Rio's tap water measures 16.3 grains per gallon (278.0 mg/L) — very hard on the USGS scale, the range where scale on fixtures and appliances is the usual complaint.
Water softener cost for 16.3 gpg water in El Rio — equipment and local installation labour for your ZIP code, with the sizing arithmetic shown in full. For the national picture first, read what a water softener costs — equipment, installation labour and ten-year ownership, each separated out. For California as a whole, read water softener cost in California — priced against the plumber wage published for the state.
Frequently Asked Questions About El Rio Tap Water
El Rio's water has 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. While the water meets federal legal limits, we recommend using a certified water filter for additional protection, especially for vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.
Spotted something off on this page?
Residents keep our data honest.
This form corrects our data; it does not reach OXNARD WATER DEPT. For a problem with your water now (discolored water, no water, low pressure, a leak), contact OXNARD WATER DEPT directly.
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