Water Quality
California adopted its first enforceable hexavalent chromium (Cr-6) standard in July 2024: 10 micrograms per liter. That sounds like a win. But California's own public health goal for Cr-6, set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, is 0.02 micrograms per liter. The gap between those two numbers is 500 times. In a Valley with documented Superfund contamination from mid-century aerospace operations and groundwater wells that once tested above the new limit, that 500x difference is not an abstraction. This is what the data shows, what it means for homes in Burbank, North Hollywood, Sun Valley, and the broader SFV, and what treatment actually closes the gap.
Want your tap water tested for Cr-6?
UpTown Cares brings a test kit to your home, reads the results against your utility's Consumer Confidence Report, and quotes on the spot. 2,000+ families served across the San Fernando Valley since 2022, in partnership with the Peggy Beatrice Foundation.
California's 2024 Chromium-6 MCL: The First Enforceable Standard in the United States
No federal Maximum Contaminant Level for hexavalent chromium specifically exists today. The US EPA regulates total chromium at 100 micrograms per liter under the Safe Drinking Water Act, but that covers all chromium forms combined and was set decades before Cr-6's carcinogenic properties were fully understood. California has tried to fill that gap twice. The state adopted a Cr-6 MCL of 10 µg/L in 2014. That standard was challenged in court, vacated in 2017 on procedural grounds, and the state spent seven years re-doing the regulatory analysis. The re-adopted standard, 10 µg/L, went into effect in July 2024 and is now the only enforceable Cr-6 limit in the United States. Sources: SWRCB Chromium-6 regulatory page and EPA chromium in drinking water.
Water systems had 18 months to come into compliance after the July 2024 effective date. Utilities that detect Cr-6 above 10 µg/L must notify customers, install treatment or shift source blending, and report quarterly to the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water. Public compliance data is searchable in the SWRCB SDWIS database. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report, published each July for the prior calendar year, must also disclose Cr-6 results.
The San Fernando Valley's Industrial Chromium Legacy
The Cr-6 problem in the SFV is not a geological accident. It is primarily a manufacturing residue from the mid-twentieth century aerospace and defense buildup that ran from Burbank through North Hollywood and into the eastern Valley. Lockheed, the USAF's Burbank facility, and dozens of smaller plating, anodizing, and aerospace-supply operations used hexavalent chromium in surface finishing and cooling water. Chromate compounds entered the soil through unlined disposal pits, surface drainage, and leaking storage, eventually reaching the SFV groundwater basin.
The EPA designated two major Superfund sites covering SFV groundwater contamination: the San Fernando Valley (Area 1) and San Fernando Valley (Area 2) sites. EPA Superfund records for the SFV sites document volatile organic compounds and heavy metals including chromium in shallow groundwater across Burbank, North Hollywood, and Sun Valley. LADWP withdrew several wells from service starting in the 1980s and has treated affected groundwater via the San Fernando Groundwater Treatment Plant before blending it into the distribution system. The treatment plant uses ion exchange technology specifically designed to remove Cr-6 and trichloroethylene.
Treatment means that tap water in most SFV pressure zones meets the 10 µg/L MCL. It does not mean Cr-6 is absent. Treated groundwater typically contains measurable Cr-6 at the low end of the detection range, and untreated shallow wells on residential properties (used for irrigation in some older parcels) may carry levels from the original plume.
Cr-6 Regulatory Thresholds at a Glance
The following table synthesizes current regulatory and health-based values from publicly available state and federal sources. All figures are in micrograms per liter (µg/L), equivalent to parts per billion (ppb).
| Threshold | Value (µg/L) | Set By | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA MCL (enforceable) | 10 | SWRCB, July 2024 | Maximum allowed in public water supply; violation triggers notification and treatment |
| CA Public Health Goal (PHG) | 0.02 | OEHHA, 2011 | Level associated with negligible cancer risk; not enforceable, but the science-based target |
| Federal total chromium MCL | 100 | US EPA (SDWA) | Covers all chromium forms combined; no federal Cr-6 specific limit exists |
| Notification level (CA) | 10 | SWRCB | Triggers customer notification obligation; same as the MCL under current rules |
| NSF/ANSI 58 RO reduction | >95% removal | NSF International certification standard | Point-of-use RO typically reduces Cr-6 to non-detect or near non-detect |
Sources: OEHHA PHG for hexavalent chromium; SWRCB Cr-6 compliance page; EPA chromium in drinking water; NSF/ANSI 58 certification.
What LADWP and Valley Water Utilities Report
Every water utility serving SFV customers publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report disclosing Cr-6 test results. LADWP's CCR covers its distribution system and lists detected levels by sampling zone. Burbank Water and Power's CCR covers the Burbank service area, which includes neighborhoods closest to the former Lockheed plume. Glendale Water and Power's CCR covers Glendale and portions of the Foothill corridor. SCV Water's CCR covers the Santa Clarita Valley service area.
Because the new MCL went into effect in July 2024, the 2024 CCR (published July 2025) is the first to reflect compliance or non-compliance against the 10 µg/L standard. Utilities that previously reported Cr-6 in the 1 to 5 µg/L range in distribution system samples are in compliance but remain above the PHG. To look up your specific utility's current numbers, go to the SWRCB Cr-6 compliance database and filter by your water system name or PWSID number. LADWP's PWS ID is CA1910067; Burbank Water and Power is CA1910009; Glendale Water and Power is CA1910029; SCV Water is CA2910024.
When Compliance Is Not Enough: The PHG Gap Explained
The 500x distance between the MCL (10 µg/L) and the PHG (0.02 µg/L) exists because the MCL was set at economic and technical feasibility, not at the risk level the science recommends. OEHHA's PHG methodology uses a 1-in-a-million excess cancer risk model over a 70-year lifetime exposure. At 10 µg/L, the excess risk under that model is substantially higher than 1 in a million. California law explicitly requires that MCLs be set as close to the PHG as is economically and technologically feasible: the gap between 0.02 and 10 reflects treatment cost and analytical detection limits at large water systems, not a scientific disagreement about Cr-6's toxicity.
For most households, the utility water at 1 to 5 µg/L represents a very low absolute risk. For households with infants, pregnancy, or immunocompromised members, health-conservative families often want to close the gap between MCL compliance and PHG. That is where point-of-use treatment enters the picture. A certified NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink reduces Cr-6 by over 95 percent, typically to below the analytical detection limit of 0.1 µg/L.
Treatment That Works for Chromium-6
Not all filter technologies remove Cr-6 effectively. Activated carbon does not adsorb hexavalent chromium at typical residential contact times. Ion exchange resins specifically formulated for Cr-6 can work but require periodic regeneration or replacement and are primarily used in point-of-use applications or whole-system units for severely contaminated private wells. The two approaches that carry NSF certification and consistent real-world performance for residential Cr-6 treatment are:
- Reverse osmosis (NSF/ANSI 58 certified): The primary point-of-use recommendation for drinking and cooking water. A 4-stage or 5-stage RO unit under the kitchen sink handles Cr-6, lead, PFAS, nitrate, and arsenic simultaneously. See our RO service page for the AlkaVida units we install.
- Whole-house anion exchange (for private well users): Where a private shallow well is used for drinking and cooking, a whole-house IX system specific to Cr-6 is more appropriate. Requires quarterly media regeneration or cartridge swap and quarterly testing to confirm performance. We can quote this for Santa Clarita and Chatsworth customers with private wells on request.
For households on LADWP or Burbank/Glendale/SCV Water supply, the whole-house catalytic carbon system addresses taste, chloramine, and chlorine but does not meaningfully reduce Cr-6. The standard recommendation for Cr-6 concern is whole-house carbon for general water quality paired with point-of-use RO for drinking and cooking. A free in-home test will confirm whether your tap shows Cr-6 at a level that warrants action. Book at the contact page or call (213) 838-9330.
What We Find When We Test SFV Homes
Since 2022, UpTown Cares has performed in-home water tests at 2,000+ households across the San Fernando Valley in partnership with the Peggy Beatrice Foundation. Cr-6 comes up as a customer concern more often in zip codes with older housing stock near the eastern SFV industrial corridor: North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Pacoima, and parts of Burbank. In those neighborhoods, customer-reported concern about cancer risk from Cr-6 is the most common reason a family upgrades from a whole-house carbon system to a whole-house carbon plus point-of-use RO combination. The whole-house unit handles taste, chloramine, disinfection byproducts, and hardness precursors. The RO handles Cr-6, lead, PFAS, and nitrate at the tap. Our overview of patterns from 2,000 SFV installs covers all five common water issues we find and which fix matches which symptom.
Does a standard pitcher filter remove chromium-6?
Most pitcher filters (Brita, Pur, ZeroWater) are not certified for hexavalent chromium removal. ZeroWater's ion exchange resin does remove some heavy metals but is not NSF 53 certified specifically for Cr-6. The only filter categories consistently verified for Cr-6 removal are NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis systems and point-of-use ion exchange units certified specifically for hexavalent chromium. Check the NSF product database to confirm a specific model's certification before purchasing.
If my utility's CCR shows Cr-6 below 10 µg/L, is my water safe?
It is in legal compliance with California's enforceable standard. The health-science answer is more nuanced: California's own PHG of 0.02 µg/L reflects a risk model that finds negligible excess cancer risk only at very low concentrations. The 500x difference between MCL and PHG is a cost-feasibility gap, not a scientific clearance. Whether to add point-of-use treatment at or below the MCL is a risk-tolerance choice. Households with infants, pregnant members, or cancer-history concerns often choose the conservative path.
Can I use an under-sink filter to remove Cr-6 from just my drinking water?
Yes, and this is the most common approach. An NSF/ANSI 58 certified reverse osmosis system produces 2 to 4 gallons per hour of treated water for drinking and cooking, stored in a small tank under the sink. It does not affect shower, bath, or laundry water. If whole-body exposure to Cr-6 in shower water is a concern, that requires a whole-house system, which is generally recommended only for private well users with confirmed above-MCL levels. For utility-supplied SFV water, point-of-use RO at the kitchen tap is the standard proportionate response.
Last updated: July 27, 2026. Regulatory thresholds are current as of that date. The SWRCB Cr-6 MCL (10 µg/L, effective July 2024) is subject to future revision as California continues reviewing OEHHA PHG methodology. Verify current values at waterboards.ca.gov and consult your utility's most recent CCR.
Related reading: What 2,000 SFV Installs Taught Us · PFAS in SFV and Santa Clarita · Lead in SFV Water · CA Water Quality Rules 2026 · SFV Utility Water Quality Comparison · Chloramine in SFV Water · Reverse Osmosis · Water Testing · Whole-House Filtration · SFV Water Quality Overview · Service Areas · FAQ · Contact
