Public water system · CA1510031
ActiveBakersfield, City of
At a glance
City of Bakersfield (PWSID CA1510031) is an active community water system in Kern County, California. It reports serving 160,144 people through 51,259 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2010.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
160,144
Service connections
51,259
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Bakersfield compare with other water systems in Kern County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Bakersfield is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Kern County has 327 active public water systems, and City of Bakersfield is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 51 times the county average of 3,140 people per system, and accounts for 16% of the 1,026,649 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across California, the 7,479 active systems average 5,706 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Bakersfield is about 24 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. California has 2,997 active community water systems, 40% of the state's 7,479 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 506 California systems (6.8%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Bakersfield?
EPA lists City of Bakersfield as owned by a local government. The CA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 48 of the 327 active systems in Kern County (15%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Bakersfield have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2010. The violations listed here began between August 1992 and January 2010. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (2 of them). EPA lists 4 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 4 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Bakersfield: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Bakersfield?
City of Bakersfield (PWSID CA1510031) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Bakersfield serve?
City of Bakersfield reports serving 160,144 people through 51,259 service connections in Kern County, California.
Where does City of Bakersfield get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does City of Bakersfield have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2010. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Bakersfield's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2010. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Bakersfield's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Bakersfield must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Kern County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cws - Bakersfield | Kern | 267,881 | Community | Surface water |
| Delano, City of | Kern | 51,428 | Community | Groundwater |
| Oildale Mwc | Kern | 44,899 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Indian Wells Valley W.D. | Kern | 41,580 | Community | Groundwater |
| Tejon Castac Wd - I5 & Laval Rd | Kern | 38,125 | Community | Surface water |
| Vaughn Wc Inc. | Kern | 37,189 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Bakersfield, City of, PWSID CA1510031, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/bakersfield-city-of-ca1510031 (data as of October 1, 2026).