Is San Diego, CA tap water safe?
Supplied by City of San Diego · serves 1.4 million people (283,052 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID CA3710020
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from San Diego County Water Authority, City of del Mar, Santa Fe Irrigation District, California American Water – Coronado, Otay Water District. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 16 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 65 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). 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 City of San Diego's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (858) 292-6436.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 4 entry points tested Jan 2023 to Dec 2023. "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 Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 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
Detected in 15 of 16 samples. Highest result 65 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2016 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Jun 2016 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 8.96 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 0 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of San Diego's inventory lists 5 galvanized lines that need replacing, 124 of unknown material out of 286,290 service lines (as of 2025-07-01). 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 | 8.2 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.84 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.94 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 200 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.36 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 4.7 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
San Diego
63 ZIP codes the system reported serving
91902, 91910, 91911, 91913, 91915, 91932, 91941, 91942, 91945, 91950, 91977, 92008, 92014, 92019, 92020, 92021, 92025, 92027, 92037, 92040, 92064, 92065, 92067, 92071, 92075, 92093, 92101, 92102, 92103, 92104, 92105, 92106, 92107, 92108, 92109, 92110, 92111, 92113, 92114, 92115, 92116, 92117, 92119, 92120, 92121, 92122, 92123, 92124, 92126, 92127, 92128, 92129, 92130, 92131, 92134, 92136, 92139, 92140, 92145, 92154, 92161, 92173, 92182
Nearby utilities
- Helix Water District La Mesa · 7 mi
- Padre Dam Municipal Water District Santee · 9 mi
- California American Water – Coronado Coronado · 11 mi
- Otay Water District Spring Valley · 11 mi
- Lakeside Water District Lakeside · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Sweetwater Authority Chula Vista · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is San Diego tap water safe to drink?
Most of San Diego gets its water from City of San Diego. City of San Diego 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 San Diego water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of San Diego for 29 PFAS between Jan 2023 and Dec 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in San Diego water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of San Diego is 0 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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 CA3710020: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA3710020).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of San Diego'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: (858) 292-6436.
- City of San Diego 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.