Fcwwd #41/shaver Lake
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 2021 - March 2021), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility Details
- Fresno County, California
- Serves: 2,170
- Data available: 2014-2019
- Source: Groundwater
Contaminants Detected
2
EXCEED
EWG HEALTH
GUIDELINES
23 Total Contaminants
- Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
- Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
- The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
Legal ≠ Safe
EWG Health Guidelines fill the gap in outdated government standards.
The federal government’s legal limits are not health-protective. The EPA has not set a new tap water standard in almost 20 years, and some standards are more than 40 years old.
Contaminants Detected
Arsenic
Potential Effect: cancer367x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINEArsenic
more aboutthis contaminant
Arsenic is a potent carcinogen and common contaminant in drinking water. Arsenic causes thousands of cases of cancer each year in the U.S. Click here to read more about arsenic.
Arsenic was found at 367 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.004 ppb for arsenic was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Radium, combined (-226 & -228)
Potential Effect: cancer6.7x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINERadium, combined (-226 & -228)
more aboutthis contaminant
Radium is a radioactive element that causes bone cancer and other cancers. It can occur naturally in groundwater, and oil and gas extraction activities such as hydraulic fracturing can elevate concentrations.
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) was found at 6.7 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
Health Risks
EWG applied the health guideline of 0.05 pCi/L, defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal for radium-226, to radium-226 and radium-228 combined. This health guideline protects against cancer.Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Includes chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages exceeded an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority; radiological contaminants detected between 2014 and 2019.
Aluminum
more aboutthis contaminant
Aluminum is a metal released from metal refineries and mining operations. Too much aluminum exposure can impair children's brain development.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 600 ppb for aluminum was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to the brain and nervous system.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Antimony
more aboutthis contaminant
Antimony is a naturally occurring metal that enters tap water from plumbing fittings and also from industrial uses, such as production of metal alloys, batteries and plastics. Antimony causes organ damage and shortens lifespans in studies of laboratory animals.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppb for antimony was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against change to the stomach and intestines.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Asbestos
more aboutthis contaminant
Asbestos is a mineral fiber introduced into water by the dissolution of asbestos-containing minerals and from decay of asbestos cement in water mains. Asbestos causes cancer when ingested or inhaled.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
MFL = million fibers per liter
Pollution Sources
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Barium is a mineral present in rocks, soil and water. High concentrations of barium in drinking water increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 700 ppb for barium was defined by EWG as benchmark that protects against harm to the kidneys and the cardiovascular system.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Beryllium
more aboutthis contaminant
Beryllium is a toxic metal that is both naturally occurring and released into the environment from industrial pollution and incineration. Beryllium can damage lungs, bones and the digestive system.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppb for beryllium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to the stomach and intestines.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Chloroform
more aboutthis contaminant
Chloroform, one of the total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Chloroform and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.4 ppb for chloroform was proposed in 2018 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.
Pollution Sources
Treatment Byproducts
Filtering Options
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Chloromethane
more aboutthis contaminant
Chloromethane is an industrial solvent, aerosol propellant and a refrigerant. It also forms as a byproduct of water disinfection. The EPA classifies chloromethane as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 2.69 ppb for chloromethane was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmark for testing under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Treatment Byproducts
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Chromium (hexavalent)
more aboutthis contaminant
Chromium (hexavalent) is a carcinogen that commonly contaminates American drinking water. Chromium (hexavalent) in drinking water may be due to industrial pollution or natural occurrences in mineral deposits and groundwater. Read more about chromium (hexavalent).
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.02 ppb for chromium (hexavalent) was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Chromium (total)
more aboutthis contaminant
Chromium is a naturally occurring metal, but industrial uses can elevate its levels in water. One form, hexavalent chromium, causes cancer. Total chromium is not a good indicator of the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Cyanide
more aboutthis contaminant
Cyanide is a toxic chemical that causes central nervous system and thyroid toxicity. Water contamination is generally the result of metal mining and chemical industry waste, runoff from agriculture and road salts used for melting ice.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Industry
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Fluoride
more aboutthis contaminant
Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Pollution Sources
Treatment Byproducts
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Manganese
more aboutthis contaminant
Manganese is a naturally occurring element that is common in food and drinking water. Excessive manganese exposures may impair children's attention, memory and intellectual capacity. Click here to read more about manganese.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 100 ppb for manganese was defined by the state of Minnesota as a health risk limit, the concentration of a contaminant that can be consumed with little or no risk to health. This health guideline protects against harm to the brain and nervous system.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Ion Exchange
Mercury (inorganic)
more aboutthis contaminant
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that also damages the kidneys and other internal organs. Mercury enters drinking water from industrial pollution, mining wastes and coal-fired power plants.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 1.2 ppb for mercury (inorganic) was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Nitrate
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.
Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Nitrate and nitrite
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Health Risks
The health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Nitrite
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrite, closely related to the fertilizer chemical nitrate, comes from urban runoff and from fertilizer applied to agricultural lands to pollute drinking water. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Excessive nitrite in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Perchlorate
more aboutthis contaminant
Perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, occurs both naturally and as a synthetic chemical. Ingested perchlorate interferes with thyroid function. Exposure to perchlorate during pregnancy and childhood can impair cognitive development.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppb for perchlorate was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against hormone disruption.
Pollution Sources
Agriculture
Industry
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Selenium
more aboutthis contaminant
Selenium is an essential element in diets. But too much selenium can decrease thyroid hormone production and cause hair loss, skin lesions and brittle fingernails.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 30 ppb for selenium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against hair loss and nail damage.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Silver occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and can be added to water as a biocide that inhibits growth of bacteria and algae. Increasingly, the use of antimicrobial nano-sized silver particles in consumer products contributes to silver in water sources used for drinking water.
How your levels compare
This Utility
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Pollution Sources
Industry
Runoff & Sprawl
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Toluene
more aboutthis contaminant
Toluene is a volatile solvent that harms the nervous and immune systems, damages the liver and may increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 150 ppb for toluene was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Filtering Options
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Uranium
more aboutthis contaminant
Uranium is a known human carcinogen. The federal legal limit for uranium is set at 30 micrograms per liter (corresponding to parts per billion), but utilities can also report uranium in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. EWG translated all uranium results to pCi/L using a conversion factor developed by the EPA. With this conversion approach, the limit of 30 ppb corresponds to 20 pCi/L. Drinking water with this much uranium would cause more than 4.6 cancer cases in a population of 100,000. California set a public health goal for uranium of 0.43 pCi/L.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.43 pCi/L for uranium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. Three most common uranium isotopes are U-234, U-235 and U-238. All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, and the total radioactivity depends on the ratio of isotopes. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
Industry
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Includes chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages were lower than an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority; chemicals detected under the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3) program in 2013 to 2015 (and subsequent testing when available), for which annual utility averages were lower than an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority.
Other Contaminants Tested
✕Fcwwd #41/shaver Lake compliance with legally mandated federal standards:
- From April 2019 to March 2021, Fcwwd #41/shaver Lake complied with health-based drinking water standards.
- 2 QUARTERSin violation of any federal drinking water standard from April 2019 to March 2021
Information in this section on Fcwwd #41/shaver Lake comes from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online database (ECHO).
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS UTILITYWater Filters That Can Reduce Contaminant Levels
| Contaminant | Activated Carbon | Reverse Osmosis | Ion Exchange |
| CONTAMINANTS ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | |||
| Arsenic | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Radium, combined (-226 & -228) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| OTHER CONTAMINANTS DETECTED | |||
| Aluminum | ✔ | ||
| Antimony | ✔ | ||
| Asbestos | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Barium | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Beryllium | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Chloroform | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Chloromethane | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Chromium (hexavalent) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Chromium (total) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cyanide | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fluoride | ✔ | ||
| Manganese | ✔ | ||
| Mercury (inorganic) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nitrate | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nitrate & nitrite | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nitrite | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Perchlorate | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Selenium | ✔ | ||
| Silver | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Toluene | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Uranium, combined (pCi/L) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Take Action
Contact Your Local Official
One of the best ways to push for cleaner water is to hold accountable the elected officials who have a say in water quality – from city hall and the state legislature to Congress all the way to the Oval Office – by asking questions and demanding answers.
LEARN MOREFilter Out Contaminants
Check out our recommendations for filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.
EWG’S WATER FILTER GUIDE
