Dana Point, CA tap water
Supplied mostly by South Coast Water District, plus 3 other utilities. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From California Water Board lab results (2023–2026).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Up to 6.2 ppm (Low)
Typical 4.7 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies East Orange County WD - Wz; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. and Smwd - Sj Ground Water Plant, which supplies Santa Margarita Water District-ID9 (2023–2026).
Copper at home taps
Up to 0.03 ppm (Low)
Typical 0.02 ppm
Low. Water that sits in household pipes overnight can carry more than this.
From California Water Board lab results (2023–2024).
Water chemistry
General hardness
82–291 ppm
Typical 195 ppm
Moderately hard. Great for livebearers, and most community fish adapt.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies East Orange County WD - Wz; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Moulton Niguel Water District (2023–2026).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
59–126 ppm
Typical 59 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies East Orange County WD - Wz; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Moulton Niguel Water District (2023–2026).
pH
7.3–8.7
Typical 8.1
Alkaline. Many utilities raise pH to protect pipes. Stability matters more than the exact number.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies East Orange County WD - Wz; EPA monitoring data; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Moulton Niguel Water District (2013–2026).
Total dissolved solids
214–666 ppm
Typical 495 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies East Orange County WD - Wz; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Moulton Niguel Water District (2023–2026).
- Santa Margarita Water District-ID9 adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies Dana Point, CA
South Coast Water District
Serves 33% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
East Orange County WD - Wz
Serves 11% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
Santa Margarita Water District-ID9
Serves 9% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
Moulton Niguel Water District
Serves 9% of residents · Buys water from Joint Regional Water Supply System · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.