Sodium in California well water
In California, sodium was detected in 100% of 44,379 tested private well samples.
Sodium enters wells with road salt and from softeners. EPA's guidance level of 20 mg/L matters for people on sodium-restricted diets; most people are not affected below 250 mg/L.
Check your sodium number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your California well for sodium
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove sodium
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For sodium
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for sodium in California: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit; counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuba | no limit | 349 | 100% | 15 | 270 mg/L |
| Yolo | no limit | 374 | 100% | 58.5 | 470 mg/L |
| Alameda | no limit | 1,283 | 100% | 89 | 30,700 mg/L |
| Fresno | no limit | 1,987 | 100% | 240 | 17,000 mg/L |
| Glenn | no limit | 433 | 100% | 22 | 250 mg/L |
| Imperial | no limit | 1,282 | 100% | 139 | 87,000 mg/L |
| Kern | no limit | 3,202 | 100% | 90.0 | 36,300 mg/L |
| Los Angeles | no limit | 2,708 | 100% | 48.9 | 11,000 mg/L |
| Madera | no limit | 379 | 100% | 30 | 3,400 mg/L |
| Merced | no limit | 1,480 | 100% | 49 | 26,000 mg/L |
| Mono | no limit | 453 | 100% | 59.9 | 463 mg/L |
| Monterey | no limit | 79 | 100% | 71.3 | 334 mg/L |
| Riverside | no limit | 4,277 | 100% | 63 | 3,790 mg/L |
| San Diego | no limit | 3,410 | 100% | 116 | 29,000 mg/L |
| San Francisco | no limit | 96 | 100% | 43.5 | 110 mg/L |
- Atascadero CCD, San Luis Obispo County100% detected of 272
- Paso Robles CCD, San Luis Obispo County100% detected of 35
- Dinuba CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 41
- Earlimart CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 126
- Exeter CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 30
- Pixley CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 57
- Porterville CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 40
- Springville-Johnsondale CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 41
- Terra Bella CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 45
- Tipton CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 45
- Tulare CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 88
- Visalia CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 43
- Woodlake-Three Rivers CCD, Tulare County100% detected of 58
- Atwater CCD, Merced County100% detected of 223
- Dos Palos CCD, Merced County100% detected of 123
- Gustine CCD, Merced County100% detected of 268
- Hilmar-Irwin CCD, Merced County100% detected of 132
- Livingston-Delhi CCD, Merced County100% detected of 186
- Los Banos CCD, Merced County100% detected of 155
- Arroyo Grande CCD, San Luis Obispo County100% detected of 470
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. sodium counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.