Public water system · CA1310004
ActiveEl Centro, City of
At a glance
City of El Centro (PWSID CA1310004) is an active community water system in Imperial County, California. It reports serving 43,772 people through 10,229 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
43,772
Service connections
10,229
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of El Centro compare with other water systems in Imperial County?
By EPA's size categories, City of El Centro is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Imperial County has 76 active public water systems, and City of El Centro is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 18 times the county average of 2,444 people per system, and accounts for 24% of the 185,748 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 El Centro is about 6.5 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 El Centro?
EPA lists City of El Centro 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. 19 of the 76 active systems in Imperial County (25%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of El Centro have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2014. The violations listed here began between July 2001 and January 2014. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (3 of them). EPA lists 6 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, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
All 6 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 El Centro: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of El Centro?
City of El Centro (PWSID CA1310004) 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 El Centro serve?
City of El Centro reports serving 43,772 people through 10,229 service connections in Imperial County, California.
Where does City of El Centro 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 El Centro have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 1 is 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 El Centro'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 6 violations for this system; 1 is 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 El Centro's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of El Centro 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 Imperial County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calexico, City of | Imperial | 40,357 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Brawley, City of | Imperial | 26,862 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Imperial, City of | Imperial | 21,591 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Imperial Valley College | Imperial | 8,150 | Non-transient non-community | Surface water |
| Gswc - Calipatria | Imperial | 7,363 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Heber Public Utility District | Imperial | 6,979 | Community | Purchased 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, “El Centro, City of, PWSID CA1310004, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/el-centro-city-of-ca1310004 (data as of October 1, 2026).