Is my tap water safe to drink?

YES. Your tap water is among the safest drinking water in the world. The City of Redlands has continued to develop and implement proven technologies and processes to provide the citizens of Redlands with safe drinking water. The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act have established rigid standards under which the City of Redlands operates. The City of Redlands delivers water to your tap that meets these high standards and the City continues to make improvements in water quality.

What does the City of Redlands do to improve the safety and quality of my tap water ?

The City of Redlands is actively pursuing ways to improve water quality even beyond current regulatory standards. The City of Redlands has a pro-active monitoring program that supplies data on the quality of water being supplied to its citizens. Daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly monitoring provides the Department with the most current information it needs to maintain system integrity. Representative locations throughout the entire system are selected and samples are taken regularly to provide information on the whole system. The City’s staff is regularly improving their education and training in water quality technology.

Why is there sand in my water?

Over 45% of the City of Redlands’ total yearly water production comes from wells. Even with the most modern design and construction, a water well will produce some amount of sand. Most of the sand produced can be removed with mechanical devices at the well head, but a portion of the sand escapes and enters the distribution system where it travels to “dead-ends” at the outer reaches of the system. The City of Redlands has an extensive flushing program to remove small particles of sediment, sand or rust from distribution pipes. The City flushes out these dead-ends on a regular basis to remove any sand which may have accumulated and any water which is not being circulated. It is important to keep the system free of sand, not only for drinking water purposes, but because sand has an adverse effect on water pumping equipment. The City is also continually rehabilitating some of the distribution system, including replacing aging pipes with new ones.

Why is my drinking water cloudy?

Tap water that appears cloudy could simply mean that there is air in the water. Some well sources produce water with dissolved air that remains pressurized in the distribution pipelines until reaching the consumer. When the water flows from the faucet, the air is released and may form tiny bubbles. After filling a glass, these bubbles will slowly rise and disappear. If your water remains cloudy or particles are found, please call us at 798-7516.

Why does my water have a medicinal taste?

The “medicinal taste” that is sometimes detected in your drinking water is chlorine. The City of Redlands disinfects its water supply with chlorine. Chlorine is a very effective disinfectant. It also has the quality of remaining slightly detectable in the water if there are no micro-organisms for it to attack. This California Department of Public Health required disinfectant “residual” serves as an additional safeguard in the distribution system in the remote event that some organism escapes the treatment process or is somehow introduced into the system. This residual provides an excellent indicator to the technicians monitoring the distribution system. If a chlorine residual can be detected, we can be assured that no harmful micro-organisms are present.

Does the City of Redlands add fluoride to its drinking water?

The immediate answer is no. However there is a naturally occurring, detected level of fluoride in Redlands drinking water. The current range of concentration is from 0.3 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (parts per million). Since fluoride, derived from the natural element fluorine, is known to strengthen dental enamel and is effective in preventing tooth decay, the American Dental Association (ADA) has recommended an optimum level of fluoride in drinking water of between 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. Redlands water falls within range naturally.