Is Oakland, CA tap water safe?
Supplied by East Bay Municipal Utility District · serves 1.5 million people (394,309 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID CA0110005
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Contra Costa Water District. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read East Bay Municipal Utility District's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (510) 287-1035.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 6 entry points tested Apr 2023 to Dec 2025. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.3 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 1.72 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 2 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 21 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3.3 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3.3 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 7 ppb |
Lead service lines: East Bay Municipal Utility District's inventory lists 0 lead, 3,935 galvanized lines that need replacing, 0 of unknown material out of 408,782 service lines (as of 2026-04-21). Counted by us from the utility's or state's published line-by-line inventory data.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 12.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.22 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 2.4 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 480 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.32 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Oakland, Hayward, Richmond, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Danville, Castro Valley, Dublin, Lafayette, San Leandro, Orinda, Martinez, Alameda, Berkeley, Alamo, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Hercules, Blackhawk, Pinole, Rodeo, El Cerrito, San Lorenzo, Albany, Diablo, Crockett
64 ZIP codes the system reported serving
94501, 94502, 94506, 94507, 94523, 94525, 94526, 94528, 94530, 94541, 94542, 94544, 94545, 94546, 94547, 94549, 94552, 94553, 94556, 94563, 94564, 94568, 94569, 94572, 94577, 94578, 94579, 94580, 94582, 94583, 94595, 94596, 94597, 94598, 94601, 94602, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94607, 94608, 94609, 94610, 94611, 94612, 94613, 94618, 94619, 94621, 94702, 94703, 94704, 94705, 94706, 94707, 94708, 94709, 94710, 94720, 94801, 94803, 94804, 94805, 94806
Nearby utilities
- California Water Service – South San Francisco South San Francisco · 11 mi
- City of Hayward Hayward · 12 mi
- City of Daly City Daly City · 14 mi
- California Water Service – San Mateo San Mateo · 15 mi
- Dublin San Ramon Services District San Ramon · 16 mi
- City of Redwood City Redwood City · 18 mi
Questions
Is Oakland tap water safe to drink?
Most of Oakland gets its water from East Bay Municipal Utility District. East Bay Municipal Utility District has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Oakland water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of East Bay Municipal Utility District found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Oakland water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for East Bay Municipal Utility District is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for CA0110005: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA0110005).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- East Bay Municipal Utility District's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (510) 287-1035.
- East Bay Municipal Utility District website
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.