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Is Torrance Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: 7:47 pm, July 18, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Torrance?

Yes, Torrance's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Torrance has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Torrance's water utility, Torrance-City, Water Dept, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Torrance was resolved on Dec. 31, 2012. This assessment is based on the Torrance-City, Water Dept water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.

While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.

The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.

Water Quality Report for Torrance Tap Water

The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Torrance tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.

Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.

EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.

There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.

We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Torrance's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.

Torrance Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named Torrance-City, Water Dept for Torrance in California. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

From Oct. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2012, Torrance had 21 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violations with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Regular which falls into the Chemicals rule code group, and the Volatile Organic Chemicals rule code family for the following contaminant codes: Xylenes, Total, DICHLOROMETHANE, o-Dichlorobenzene, p-Dichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, CHLOROBENZENE, Benzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene.

Is there Lead in Torrance Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Torrance water system, Torrance-City, Water Dept, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0 mg/L of lead in Torrance water. This is 0% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Torrance contained more lead.

While Torrance water testing may have found 0.0 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.

No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.

Are there PFAS in Torrance Tap Water?

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - DFSP San Pedro - near Torrance with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Torrance has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

Torrance SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years

Compliance Period Status Health-Based? Category Code Code Rule Code Contaminant Code Rule Group Code Rule Family Code
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Xylenes, Total (2955) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) DICHLOROMETHANE (2964) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) o-Dichlorobenzene (2968) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) p-Dichlorobenzene (2969) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Vinyl chloride (2976) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,1-Dichloroethylene (2977) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene (2979) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,2-Dichloroethane (2980) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (2981) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Carbon tetrachloride (2982) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,2-Dichloropropane (2983) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Trichloroethylene (2984) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (2985) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Tetrachloroethylene (2987) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Toluene (2991) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Ethylbenzene (2992) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Styrene (2996) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene (2378) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) CHLOROBENZENE (2989) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) Benzene (2990) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)
10/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 Resolved No Monitoring and Reporting (MR) Monitoring, Regular (03) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310) cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene (2380) Chemicals (300) Volatile Organic Chemicals (310)

What do these Violations Mean?

Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.

Health Based Violations

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
  2. Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
  3. Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.

SDWA Table Key

Field Description
Compliance Period Dates of the compliance period.
Status Current status of the violation.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
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Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
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Code A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table.
Contaminant Code A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation.
Rule Code Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
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Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
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Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
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For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Torrance Water - Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I CONTACT TORRANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Torrance water provider, Torrance-City, Water Dept, please use the information below.
By Phone: 310-618-3054
By Email: cbilezerian@torranceca.gov
By Mail: 20500 MADRONA AVE
TORRANCE, CA, 90503
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR TORRANCE-CITY, WATER DEPT
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their Torrance-City, Water Dept account to pay their Torrance water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your Torrance-City, Water Dept bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Torrance water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Torrance water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.

HOW TO START & STOP TORRANCE WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Torrance means you will often need to put the water in your name with Torrance-City, Water Dept. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Torrance means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with Torrance-City, Water Dept. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.

Stop Service Form

Is Torrance Tap Water Safe to Drink? Tap water & safety quality

The estimated price of bottled water

$1.91 in USD (1.5-liter)

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Torrance tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 1% Very Low
  • Water Pollution 1% Very Low
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 99% Very High
  • Water Quality 99% Very High

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Torrance, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Contaminants


City of Torrance Water Department

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.

Utility details

  • Serves: 145438
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Purchased surface water
  • Total: 20

Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines

  • Bromodichloromethane
  • Bromoform
  • Chloroform
  • Dibromochloromethane
  • Dichloroacetic acid
  • Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
  • Trichloroacetic acid

Other Detected Contaminants

  • Barium
  • Chlorate
  • Chromium (hexavalent)
  • Dibromoacetic acid
  • Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)
  • Fluoride
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Monobromoacetic acid
  • MTBE
  • Strontium
  • Vanadium

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

Sources and Resources

Torrance Tap Water

If you have ever wondered if your local Torrance, CA, tap water quality is what it should be, you need to find out more information about where you can get quality equipment to test your water. The fact is that most people don’t know the first thing to look for when they are looking for a great place to hook up their home water line and end up buying one of the low-grade products that end up costing them more money in the end. When it comes to hooking up your water line, there are several different places that you can go, including the major city centers, to have someone install it for you. You can even hook it up yourself if you like. Still, the professionals have the right tools and experience to ensure that your water line is hooked up properly and doesn’t come loose.

Several companies will come to your house and test your drinking supply for contaminants. These companies are usually referred to as Drinking Water Analysts, and they offer the best service possible. In addition to checking your tap water for contaminants, they can also check the quality of your showerhead, your dishwasher, and your washing machines. If you live in a high-risk area for contamination, such as around a pool, they will also test your pool water. This ensures that the water you’re using for showering, bathing, and other everyday activities is clean and pure, rather than contaminated with all kinds of harmful bacteria and metals.

If you’ve never had someone do this type of testing before, then you should strongly consider hiring someone to come out and test your tap water at your house. Whether you live in California or any other state, you should have your drinking water tested for contaminants regularly to make sure that you and your family are healthy. Suppose you don’t feel comfortable with having anyone in your home doing the testing. In that case, you can hire a private lab to do it for you, but you will likely have to pay more for the testing done. However, it is much more affordable than replacing your tap water if you find that it contains dangerous amounts of impurities.

Drinking Water in Torrance

There is an excellent debate about the quality of drinking water in California. Some say that the state’s water is best, while others say that you can’t have too much fluoride in it. Whichever side you sit on, it’s essential to know that there are options for better quality water in Torrance. You don’t want to end up living in a home with insufficient quality drinking water, so it’s essential to make sure you’re taking the proper steps to get a great source of drinking water.

The best way to get high-quality drinking water in your home is by investing in a home water filtration system. There are a few different ones you can look into, but two perfect ones are the Under Sink System and the faucet mount systems. Suppose you’re looking to save money on your water bill while helping to ensure that you and your family have the best chance of staying healthy. In that case, you should consider getting one of these systems installed in your home. These systems use specially designed filters called cartridges to remove sediment and cysts from the water. They also remove many of the harmful chemicals and pollutants found in tap water throughout California. The best systems will remove up to 99% of any contaminants in your water.

It’s effortless to understand how important it is to have clean drinking water. If you’re not drinking safe water, you’re putting yourself at risk by exposing yourself to the same diseases that can be spread through unclean water supplies. Getting a good filtration system can give you the peace of mind that you need to feel comfortable knowing that you and your family are getting the very best water possible. Stop wondering whether your drinking water is good, and start taking steps to find out for sure. It may be worth the extra money to have the best water you’ve ever had because you’ll be glad you did.

Torrance Water Department

You might want to get your water from the Torrance, California water department since they are known for getting the best service. This means that they do the testing and delivering the results right on your doorstep. The service that the department offers is unmatched in Los Angeles or any other place, for that matter. Besides that, their prices are affordable, making it more enjoyable for residents to use the water supply from this source.

If you are still puzzled about where you can get your water from, you should check out the website of Torrance itself. It offers several options for you, especially if you are not very much familiar with the area. For example, they have an online store that has all kinds of household appliances and gadgets. Some of the items you may find include pressure washers, garden tools, sprinklers, pumps, and filters. Not to mention that you can also have your water tested in this store, should you want to get more information on your water consumption.

With the help of a dedicated department, you will be able to enjoy clean, safe water for your home or office. Aside from that, you can expect excellent customer service from them. They will take care of all your requests and concerns, no matter how trivial you think they are. Since they know that the water quality in the area is quite good, you should expect nothing but the best from them, and you will not be disappointed in the least.

Torrance Water

The city of Torrance is in the middle of the California drought, which means that there has been a lot of rain lately, but not enough to get rid of all of the pollutants and other contaminants that have been sitting around in our tap water for many years. These pollutants include herbicides, pesticides, and radioactive materials in the ground and spread into the groundwater. While most of these materials are removed from your drinking water, they still end up in your faucets. This is where bottled water comes into play; it’s the perfect way to get rid of all of the pollutants and other harmful elements in your drinking water so you can use it for all of your basic needs.

Torrance CA, water treatment options, are plentiful, and there are many places where you can get quality bottled water. One of the most popular and leading companies is Whole Foods, which sells both individual bottles and bottled water products. If you cannot find a local retailer that sells these types of products, then check online; there are plenty of online stores that carry these items. Some online auctions will sell them, so keep your eyes open to any business that sells these types of products for cheap.

Torrance water treatment systems are available and easy to install if you want to do it independently. However, many people choose to hire a professional to install it, so they don’t have to worry about doing it themselves. Once the water treatment system is installed, you can use it to ensure that your water is clean and safe for you and your family to cook and bathe with. It is also a great way to filter water for exercise or medical purposes, so you have a clean water source that you can trust for drinking and other everyday uses. You will be amazed at how much money you can save every year by making the switch to bottled water and Torrance water treatment systems.

Torrance Water Quality

You have probably read and heard that the City of Torrance is one of the most scenic cities in California. However, did you know that the water quality in this area is also inferior? Many people concerned with the quality of the water they use to drink and cook with do not realize that this is a significant source of pollution. The main problem with the Torrance water quality is that it is highly polluted from the many industries in the area, such as oil refineries and the like.

The water is heavily contaminated, and it is widely known for having many different kinds of contaminants. Oil-based chemicals and the like contribute significantly to the problems faced by the California water system. The major problem with the pollution is that no one from the local government or the authorities ever bothers to check the water quality coming into the area. This makes it extremely difficult for residents to get pure water to drink. Even the water plants that are supposed to be using such low-quality water are not sure of what they are doing. Suppose the local government officials would care to look at how the plants operate and contribute to the problems. In that case, they should allow scientists to research the matter.

With that being said, there is no way to blame anyone for this situation. Even though California has many regulations regarding water quality, there are not enough resources to regulate everything. Therefore, as a result, many places are found to have contaminated water supplies. Although there is no way to control all factories and other types of businesses in the area, there is still a need to do research and learn more about each industry’s impact on the water around them. If everyone just stopped working, this problem could easily be solved. Instead, Torrance residents should try to look for alternatives to the water they are constantly drinking and cooking with.

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