Water Quality

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My Water Quality

This web portal, supported by a wide variety of public and private organizations, presents California water quality monitoring data and assessment information that may be viewed across space and time. It includes sections such as, "Is it Safe to Swim in our Waters?" and "Is Our Water Safe to Drink?"

Environmental Protection Agency Water Info

Water pollution can hurt our ability to use water in our homes, for recreation, and in commerce. It also harms other forms of life. The EPA works to protect water in all its forms: on the ground, underground, and coming out of the tap.

Water Quality Studies & Reports

First Flush Reports

You can download PDF's of our First Flush reports.
Download 2007 Report (1.1MB)
Download 2008 Report (1.2MB)

Protecting the Beneficial Uses of Our Waterways

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires California to identify all seriously polluted, or "impaired," water bodies every two years. These are waters too polluted for activities that Californians used to enjoy, like fishing and swimming, or that are too polluted to supply drinking water without costly extra treatment. Read more from the California Coastkeeper Aliance.

Improving Coastal Water Quality by Addressing Polluted Storm Water Runoff

Storm water pours more contaminants into California's coastal waters than any other source of pollution. Rainfall, sprinkler and irrigation systems, and other sources of water flow over streets, buildings, yards, golf courses, parking lots, and other “hardscapes,” picking up pollutants and dumping them directly into our storm drains, which then transport the wastes untreated to our lakes, rivers, streams and ocean. Read more from the California Coastkeeper Aliance.