Public water system · CA1510019
ActiveShafter, City of
At a glance
City of Shafter (PWSID CA1510019) is an active community water system in Kern County, California. It reports serving 21,915 people through 4,998 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
21,915
Service connections
4,998
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Shafter compare with other water systems in Kern County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Shafter is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Kern County has 327 active public water systems. Its population served is about 7 times the county average of 3,140 people per system, and accounts for 2.1% 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 Shafter is about 3.3 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 Shafter?
EPA lists City of Shafter 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 Shafter have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2015. The violations listed here began between January 2009 and December 2015. By type: 10 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Arsenic (7 of them). EPA lists 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2010-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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 Shafter: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Shafter?
City of Shafter (PWSID CA1510019) 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 Shafter serve?
City of Shafter reports serving 21,915 people through 4,998 service connections in Kern County, California.
Where does City of Shafter 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 Shafter have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2015. 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 Shafter'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 10 are health-based, and the most recent began in December 2015. 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 Shafter's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Shafter 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 |
| Bakersfield, City of | Kern | 160,144 | Community | Purchased 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 |
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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, “Shafter, City of, PWSID CA1510019, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/shafter-city-of-ca1510019 (data as of October 1, 2026).