Long Beach’s drinking water met all state and federal quality standards in 2025, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the Long Beach Utilities Department.
The department’s annual Consumer Confidence Report found that the city’s water supply complied with all standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Water Resources Control Board.
According to the report, the utility conducted roughly 63,500 water quality tests between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025, screening for potential biological, inorganic, organic and radiological contaminants. All results were below state and federal maximum contaminant levels.
“Our professional staff work year-round to ensure customers have access to drinking water that meets or exceeds regulatory standards,” Long Beach Utilities General Manager Anatole Falagán said in a statement.
The report found that 71% of Long Beach’s drinking water came from local groundwater supplies in 2025, while the remaining 29% was purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and blended at the city’s groundwater treatment plant before distribution.
Long Beach Utilities said the groundwater treatment plant operates around the clock and treats approximately 32 million gallons of groundwater each day.
The report is available online through the utility department’s website at www.lbutilities.org/water/water-quality.
Please hold your applause (and your breath, out of habit), because we have some absolutely thrilling, groundbreaking, sci-fi-level news:
Long Beach drinking water officially meets basic safety standards!
That’s right. It is the year 2026, in a so-called “first-world superpower,” and we have successfully achieved the pinnacle of modern civilization: tap water that will not mutate your DNA or require a signed liability waiver before you brush your teeth.
We know you’ve grown attached to the subtle, rustic notes of “aquarium floor” and “industrial runoff” that usually give our local tap its distinct character, but it’s time to say goodbye. The city has officially confirmed that our water is now legally considered “water.”
What does this mean for you?
The Brita Filter Can Rest: Your countertop filtration pitcher—which has been fighting for its absolute life since 2022—can finally take a well-deserved vacation.
A New Luxury Beverage: Move over, imported sparkling water from the French Alps. We’ve got “Slightly Chlorinated But Legally Passable” right from the kitchen sink!
Glowing is Out: You will have to find a new way to illuminate your hallways at night, as your skin will no longer provide that gentle, heavy-metal luminescence.
Let’s all raise a glass of perfectly average, non-toxic, government-approved H2O to celebrate this monumental 21st-century achievement. We really are living in the future.