Kern Water Quality Report
26 cities ranked · Average grade: B- · California
Avg Score
70.1
Cities Ranked
26
Health Violations
25
PFAS Detected
11
70.1
County avg score
26
Cities ranked
54%
A or B grade
31%
D or F grade
25
Health violations
11
PFAS detected
Grade Distribution
How Kern cities scored
A
9
35%
Excellent
B
5
19%
Good
C
4
15%
Fair
D
5
19%
Poor
F
3
12%
Failing
Comparison
County vs California average
▼ 6.4 pts below state average
City Map
Water quality across Kern
Each dot is a city, colored by grade. Click any city to view its full report.
Highlights
Top & bottom cities in Kern
Worst cities
County context
2
Superfund sites in Kern
873
lbs/yr to surface water · top 10 TRI facilities
Industrial pollution
Top industrial polluters in Kern
Industrial polluters nearby
Facilities reporting the most surface-water releases in Kern, 2023.
Total reported releases to surface water: 873 lbs
| Facility | Top chemical | To surface water (lbs/yr) |
|---|---|---|
HOOVER TREATED WOOD PRODUCTS INC. BAKERSFIELD, CA93313 | Copper compounds | 616 |
NATIONAL CEMENT CO OF CALIFORNIA INC LEBEC, CA93243 | Lead And Lead Compounds | 257 |
INNOVATIVE COATING TECHNOLOGY INC MOJAVE, CA93501 | Lead compounds | 0 |
ARGO CHEMICAL INC BAKERSFIELD, CA93263 | — | — |
CLEAN HARBORS BUTTONWILLOW LLC BUTTONWILLOW, CA93206 | — | — |
+ 5 more facilities
Source: EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) 2023
Superfund sites
Superfund sites in Kern
Superfund sites nearby
Federally tracked hazardous-waste sites within Kern on the EPA National Priorities List.
- BROWN BRYANT INC ARVIN PLANT
- EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE
Source: EPA Superfund National Priorities List
Full Rankings
All 26 cities in Kern
| # | City | Grade | Score | Score | Population | Violations | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Lake | A | 93.2 | 7K | 17 | Health Unresolved | |
| 2 | Buttonwillow | A | 91.5 | 2K | 36 | Health Unresolved | |
| 3 | Lost Hills | A | 90.7 | 2K | 31 | Health Unresolved | |
| 4 | Taft | A- | 88.5 | 21K | 3 | Unresolved | |
| 5 | Edwards Afb | A- | 88.3 | 11K | 11 | Health Unresolved | |
| 6 | California City | A- | 88 | 14K | 30 | Health Unresolved | |
| 7 | Ridgecrest | A- | 86.2 | 42K | 36 | Health Unresolved | |
| 8 | Shafter | A- | 86.2 | 25K | 49 | Health Unresolved | |
| 9 | Pine Mountain Club | A- | 86.1 | 2K | 15 | Health Unresolved | |
| 10 | Wasco | B+ | 83.3 | 28K | 43 | Health Unresolved | |
| 11 | Lamont | B+ | 82.2 | 20K | 62 | Health Unresolved | |
| 12 | Boron | B+ | 80.8 | 3K | 90 | Health Unresolved | |
| 13 | Delano | B | 78 | 56K | 87 | Health Unresolved | |
| 14 | Kernville | B- | 70.4 | 2K | 93 | Health Unresolved | |
| 15 | Frazier Park | C+ | 68.6 | 5K | 110 | Health Unresolved | |
| 16 | Mcfarland | C+ | 66.7 | 14K | 95 | Health Unresolved | |
| 17 | Arvin | C+ | 66.5 | 20K | 135 | Health Unresolved | |
| 18 | Lebec | C | 63.2 | 40K | 78 | Health Unresolved | |
| 19 | Weldon | D+ | 52 | 2K | 261 | Health Unresolved | |
| 20 | Lake Isabella | D+ | 50 | 594 | 373 | Health Unresolved | |
| 21 | North Edwards | D | 49 | 1K | 164 | Health Unresolved | |
| 22 | Mojave | D | 48.2 | 5K | 131 | Health Unresolved | |
| 23 | Inyokern | D | 46 | 2K | 187 | Health Unresolved | |
| 24 | Tehachapi | F | 42.2 | 34K | 202 | Health PFAS Unresolved | |
| 25 | Rosamond | F | 42.2 | 18K | 240 | Health Unresolved | |
| 26 | Bakersfield | F | 33.8 | 297K | 1232 | Health PFAS Unresolved |