California's drinking water supplies exceeded safety limits for pollutants over 1,000 times during a one year period between 2012 to 2013, according to a recently released report that lists high levels of nitrates and arsenic as well as other contaminants. The high level of citations violated federal safety standards, triggering a reporting requirement to the EPA.

The report, which was conducted on behalf of the Californian Senate's Environmental Quality committee, forms part of the states wider efforts to improve compliance with safety standards set for drinking water following criticism of previous failings in this area.

"Although the vast majority of Californians who receive drinking water from a public water system receive water that met quality standards in recent years, there are still many who may have consumed unsafe water," Senate researchers said in the report.

The report states that in 2013, around 98% of drinking water supplied by the California's public water utilities complied with safety standards set for drinking water quality. However, during the 2012-2013 fiscal year, state regulated public water systems that supply water to 38 million Californian residents faced around 1,800 enforcement actions from the state's water regulators.

According to the report, the contaminants mostly responsible for the violations included high levels of pollutants such as nitrates, arsenic, perchlorates (both from natural and anthropogenic sources such as chemicals used in explosives and rocket fuel), as well as radioactive minerals. Because there were more than 1000 incidents where California's drinking water violated federal safety standards, reports were submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The contaminants originated from both naturally occurring and man-made sources. Nitrates, which pose a serious health risk, particularly to babies, tend to originate from leaking sewage systems, fertilizer run-off and erosion. Arsenic, a toxin that is associated with an increased risk of cancer, circulatory problems and skin damage, occurs naturally in soils and rocks, but human sources can add to these natural sources, pushing levels dangerously high.

"Water is a basic human right and we need to do everything possible to protect it," said Senate Democratic leader Kevin de Leon.

The State Water Resources Control Board plan to use the report to help guide policy decision-making so that it can roll out a plan to ensure residents are supplied safe drinking water. But while the powers-that-be ponder a plan, residents in California should carefully review their municipal water reports to determine if they are being affected. For those that are, one can take measures to ensure their drinking water is free from toxins by simply investing in a quality home water filter.