Beryllium
Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2023 (beryllium).
California · drinking water · SDWIS through latest publish
Nepenthe Ws Water Quality — Big Sur, California
PWSID CA2701280 · Surface waterPrivate
618 people served. No health-based SDWIS violations recorded in the past 5 years. 2 remain unresolved. Last cited 3 years ago.
Anomaly engine
Active signals
Beryllium
Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2023 (beryllium).
Most-cited contaminants
What This Utility Gets Cited For
- Beryllium2 citations
Violation history
What's On The SDWIS Record
Health-based violations exceed an MCL or treatment-technique standard. Monitoring violations are reporting failures with no measured exceedance — they tell you the system isn't fully transparent, not that the water is unsafe today.
MONITORING · BERYLLIUM
2023 · Beryllium · Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules
Failure to monitor as scheduled
MONITORING · BERYLLIUM
2023 · Beryllium · Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules
Failure to monitor as scheduled
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Drinks This Water
Monterey County, California (utility's served county per SDWIS GEOGRAPHIC_AREA — city-level not yet matched): a service population of 437,609. Local disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits below the reference (87). Why we surface this →
12.3%
Low-income
71.4%
People of color
7.1%
Under age 5
14.3%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.41near the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.5below the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.51near the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.25below the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.5below the national median
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.61above the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.60near the national median
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.91in the highest 10% nationally
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.95in the highest 10% nationally
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.66above the national median
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.28below the national median
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.92in the highest 10% nationally
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.79above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 87 | below the reference |
| Ozone | 22 | well below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 102 | near the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 52 | below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 9 | well below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 105 | near the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 80 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 98 | near the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 127 | moderately above the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 115 | moderately above the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 0 | well below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 72 | below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 12 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Source. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System · retrieved 2026-05-07. Reporting period 2023-01-01 → 2026-05-07.
What this is not. SDWIS records compliance against federal MCLs — not a direct readout of tap-water concentrations. Active health-based violations are not the same as a current crisis; we link to the EPA record so you can verify return-to-compliance status before forming a conclusion.