Transient Non-Community · PWSID CA3600768

Institute of Mental Physics

Serves 120 peopleGroundwaterOwner: PrivateJoshua Tree, California
Nothing open right now.

On record since 2016: 40 violations. 29 over the limit · 11 missed or late tests. Most recent began 2025-04-01.

For this year's test results, ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report. Every community system must publish one.

29Over the limit
0Treatment lapse
11Missed or late test
0Notice or report

More violations on record than 97% of active water systems in California. Small systems with no staff chemist often rack up missed-test violations; big utilities rarely do.

The record, year by year

2005201020152016 · Over the limit: 12017 · Over the limit: 22017 · Over the limit: 22018 · Over the limit: 42018 · Over the limit: 42018 · Over the limit: 42018 · Over the limit: 42019 · Over the limit: 42019 · Over the limit: 42019 · Over the limit: 42019 · Over the limit: 42019 · Missed or late test: 12020 · Over the limit: 12020 · Missed or late test: 62020 · Missed or late test: 62020 · Missed or late test: 62020 · Missed or late test: 62020 · Missed or late test: 62020 · Missed or late test: 620202021 · Over the limit: 32021 · Over the limit: 32021 · Over the limit: 32021 · Missed or late test: 22021 · Missed or late test: 22022 · Over the limit: 42022 · Over the limit: 42022 · Over the limit: 42022 · Over the limit: 42022 · Missed or late test: 12023 · Over the limit: 42023 · Over the limit: 42023 · Over the limit: 42023 · Over the limit: 42024 · Over the limit: 42024 · Over the limit: 42024 · Over the limit: 42024 · Over the limit: 42025 · Over the limit: 22025 · Over the limit: 22025 · Missed or late test: 12025
One square = one violation, by the year it began. Empty columns are years with nothing on EPA's record.
73% over the limit · 2928% missed or late test · 11

Across California, 52% of violations are missed or late tests and 29% are water over a limit.

How far over the limit

at the limit2×5×10×100×+Nitrate2025-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 43.15 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.3×)2025-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.30 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2024-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.40 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2024-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.40 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2024-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 40.60 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2024-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2023-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.70 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.2×)2023-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 42.05 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.2×)2023-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.60 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.2×)2023-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 41.60 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.2×)2022-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 40.60 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.1×)2022-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 39.55 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.0×)2022-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 39.90 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.0×)2022-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 40.40 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.0×)2021-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 40.10 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (4.0×)2021-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 38.50 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (3.9×)2021-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 39.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (3.9×)2020-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 32.30 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (3.2×)2019-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 19.10 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (1.9×)2019-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 18.50 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (1.9×)2019-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 16.40 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (1.6×)2019-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 18.90 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (1.9×)2018-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 28.50 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.9×)2018-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 25.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.5×)2018-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 20.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.0×)2018-01-01 · Nitrate: measured 24.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.4×)2017-10-01 · Nitrate: measured 20.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.0×)2017-07-01 · Nitrate: measured 23.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.3×)2016-04-01 · Nitrate: measured 27.00 MG/L vs limit 10.00 MG/L (2.7×)
Each dot is one over-the-limit violation: the measured value divided by the limit it broke, on a log scale. Most legal limits for chemicals are running averages set for a lifetime of drinking, so “just over” and “ten times over” are very different news. Hover a dot for the numbers.

Every violation on record

  1. 2025-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 43.15 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  2. 2025-01-01Revised Total Coliform RuleMONBack in compliance
  3. 2025-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.30 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  4. 2024-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.40 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  5. 2024-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.40 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  6. 2024-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 40.60 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  7. 2024-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  8. 2023-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.70 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  9. 2023-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 42.05 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  10. 2023-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.60 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  11. 2023-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 41.60 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  12. 2022-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 40.60 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  13. 2022-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 39.55 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  14. 2022-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 39.90 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  15. 2022-01-01NitriteMonitoring, RegularPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  16. 2022-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 40.40 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  17. 2021-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 40.10 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  18. 2021-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 38.50 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  19. 2021-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 39.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  20. 2021-01-01Revised Total Coliform RuleMONBack in compliance
  21. 2021-01-01NitrateMonitoring, RegularBack in compliance
  22. 2020-10-01Revised Total Coliform RuleMONBack in compliance
  23. 2020-10-01NitrateMonitoring, RegularBack in compliance
  24. 2020-07-01Revised Total Coliform RuleMONBack in compliance
  25. 2020-07-01NitrateMonitoring, RegularBack in compliance
Show the other 15 entries
  1. 2020-04-01Revised Total Coliform RuleMONBack in compliance
  2. 2020-04-01NitrateMonitoring, RegularBack in compliance
  3. 2020-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 32.30 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  4. 2019-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 19.10 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  5. 2019-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 18.50 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  6. 2019-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 16.40 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  7. 2019-01-01NitriteMonitoring, RegularPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  8. 2019-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 18.90 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  9. 2018-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 28.50 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  10. 2018-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 25.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  11. 2018-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 20.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  12. 2018-01-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 24.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  13. 2017-10-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 20.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  14. 2017-07-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 23.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file
  15. 2016-04-01NitrateMCL, Averagemeasured 27.00 MG/L · limit 10.00 MG/LPeriod ended · no return to compliance on file

System details

Population served120
Service connections2
Water sourceGroundwater
System typeTransient Non-Community
OwnerPrivate
StatusActive
CityJoshua Tree
EPA ZIP on file92252

Areas served

  • San Bernardino County

Reading this record

Institute of Mental Physics is a transient non-community that draws from groundwater and serves about 120 people in Joshua Tree, California. Everything above comes from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), where states report every violation by every public water system.

Four kinds of violation. Only one is a measurement of the water: over the limit means a test came back above a legal maximum (an MCL). A treatment lapse means a required protective step was not done, such as disinfection, filtration, fixing a defect an inspector found, or filing a lead-pipe inventory. A missed or late test means a required test was skipped or never reported. That is the most common kind, and the most misread: it does not mean the water was bad, and it does not mean the water was fine. Notices and reports covers public notices and the annual Consumer Confidence Report.

Status. “Back in compliance” means the state recorded a return to compliance. “Period ended” means the violation's compliance period is over but no return to compliance was ever filed, which is common in older records. EPA's federal copy lags state records by months, so call the utility for anything current.