WATER APPEARANCE AND ODOR

The state of California has set standards for the maximum levels of contaminants that may be present in drinking water. Three of the tests are for color, odor and turbidity (a measure of clarity)--three cosmetic considerations of drinking water. The maximum contaminant level is 15 units for color, three units for odor and five units for turbidity. Listed below are the high and low readings of all three constituents for the various water purveyors in Orange County, measured in recent tests. Not all districts always measure for all three factors, and some submitted just one set of readings. In almost all cases, for those who did, the numbers are well within state standards.

Water District/ HIGH MEASUREMENT LOW MEASUREMENT Company Color Odor Turbidity Color Odor Turbidity Anaheim N/A 1 0.50 N/A 1 0.13 Brea N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Buena Park 3 2 0.3 3 1 0.1 Capistrano Beach County N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Capistrano Valley *5 *1 0.19 N/A N/A N/A Cowan Heights *3 1 0.9 *3 1 0.6 Cypress-Stanton *3 1 0.1 N/A N/A N/A East Orange County *3 1 0.6 N/A N/A N/A Eastside Water Assn. *5 1 1.1 N/A N/A N/A El Toro *5 *1 0.15 *5 1 0.10 Fountain Valley 3 1 0.4 3 1 0.1 Fullerton *3 3 2.3 3 1 0.3 Garden Grove *5 *1 0.47 *5 *1 0.14 Garden Grove Acres N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Huntington Beach *5 *1 0.12 *5 *1 0.02 Irvine Ranch 5 N/A 0.2 4 N/A 0.2 La Habra *3 3 1.6 *3 1 0.1 Laguna Beach County 5 1 0.17 4 1 0.10 La Palma *1 N/A 1.8 *1 N/A 0.62 Los Alamitos *3 4 0.5 *3 1 0.2 Los Alisos *5 *1 0.8 *5 *1 0.2 Mesa Consolidated 3 3 4.5 3 1 0.1 Midway City Mutual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Moulton Niguel 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.20 Newport Beach *5 1.8 1.0 *5 1.1 0.3 Orange *5 1 0.30 *5 1 0.10 Orange Park Acres Mutual *5 *1 0.15 N/A N/A N/A Placentia-Yorba Linda *3 2 0.1 *3 1 0.1 San Clemente 5 4 0.55 4 2 0.25 Santa Ana *5 *1 0.75 *5 *1 0.12 Santa Ana Heights 3 2 0.6 3 2 0.5 Santa Margarita N/A N/A 0.40 N/A N/A 0.15 Santiago County *3 2 0.2 N/A N/A N/A Seal Beach *5 1 0.69 *5 1 0.15 Serrano Irrigation 4 1 0.43 2 1 0.34 South Coast 6 2 0.48 3 1 0.14 Southern California Water *3 1 0.1 N/A N/A N/A Trabuco Canyon N/A N/A 0.37 N/A N/A 0.07 Tustin *5 *1 2.10 *5 *1 0.20 Westminster 3 1 1.2 3 1 0.1 Yorba Linda *5 *1 0.25 *5 *1 0.15

* Less than listed number.

N/A: Not available

Source: Individual water districts and companies