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Porterville water system in compliance; report notes PCE and PFAS detections below action levels
Summary
City staff told the council that Porterville's water system meets state and federal drinking-water standards; the 2025 public health goal report recorded detections of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and PFAS in some wells but reported levels under regulatory action levels and described ongoing monitoring.
The Porterville City Council received the city's 2025 public health goal report for drinking water at a June 17 public hearing and accepted the report after staff explained ongoing monitoring and test results.
Assistant City Manager Mike Knight summarized the statutory background for the report and said the city remains in full compliance with all applicable state and federal drinking-water standards. Staff reported that tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was detected in six of the city's wells; the city's annual running average for the system was about 2.57 parts per billion (ppb), below the maximum contaminant level of 5 ppb and above the public-health-goal benchmark of 0.06 ppb. Knight said California Department of Health guidance indicates water that meets the maximum contaminant level is associated with “little to no risk.”
Staff also reported that the city tested 37 wells for PFAS; seven wells showed detections but none exceeded state action levels and the wells remain active and in service without PFAS-specific treatment. The city conducts routine sampling for coliform bacteria, lead and copper; the 90th-percentile results for lead were 0.11 ppb and copper was nondetect. Staff told the council the city does not inject fluoride into its water system.
Council members asked about nitrate monitoring and frequency; staff said the city conducts annual, quarterly and sometimes monthly nitrate testing and that nitrate results have remained below the maximum contaminant level and below about half of the MCL since the water-level recovery following the drought. The city will include the public health goal report in the annual consumer confidence report mailing to customers.
Council accepted the report and had no substantive changes; the motion to receive the staff report passed 5–0.
