Public water system · CA2410001
ActiveCity of Atwater
At a glance
City of Atwater (PWSID CA2410001) is an active community water system in Merced County, California. It reports serving 29,479 people through 8,502 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
29,479
Service connections
8,502
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Atwater compare with other water systems in Merced County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Atwater is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Merced County has 120 active public water systems, and City of Atwater is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 13 times the county average of 2,228 people per system, and accounts for 11% of the 267,324 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 Atwater is about 4.4 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 6,179 California systems (83%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Atwater?
EPA lists City of Atwater 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. 30 of the 120 active systems in Merced County (25%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Atwater have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014. The violations listed here began between September 1992 and January 2014. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting and 3 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2000-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-01-02 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1992-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 7 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 Atwater: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Atwater?
City of Atwater (PWSID CA2410001) 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 Atwater serve?
City of Atwater reports serving 29,479 people through 8,502 service connections in Merced County, California.
Where does City of Atwater get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does City of Atwater have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014. 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 Atwater'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 7 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014. 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 Atwater's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Atwater 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 Merced County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Merced | Merced | 93,692 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Los Banos | Merced | 47,419 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Livingston | Merced | 14,894 | Community | Groundwater |
| Winton Water & Sanitary Dist | Merced | 9,745 | Community | Groundwater |
| Delhi Cwd | Merced | 7,784 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Dos Palos | Merced | 7,452 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “City of Atwater, PWSID CA2410001, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/city-of-atwater-ca2410001 (data as of October 1, 2026).