Is San Francisco, CA tap water safe?
Supplied by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division · serves 848,019 people (171,099 connections) · Purchased surface water · EPA ID CA3810011
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of San Francisco gets its water from San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: Presidio of San Francisco Water System (3,500 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from San Francisco Regional Water System. 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 24 samples (2023–2025).
- 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 San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (650) 652-3100.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 6 entry points tested Mar 2023 to Mar 2024. "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
Not detected in 24 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: 7.6 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 7.6 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 11 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 18 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 12 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 2001 | 7 ppb |
Lead service lines: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division's inventory lists 0 lead, 690 galvanized lines that need replacing, 178 of unknown material out of 183,151 service lines (as of 2026-03). Counted by us from the utility's or state's published line-by-line inventory data.
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
No violations on record in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 6.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.15 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 270 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.17 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.48 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
San Francisco
56 ZIP codes the system reported serving
94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94119, 94120, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94125, 94126, 94127, 94128, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134, 94137, 94139, 94140, 94141, 94142, 94143, 94144, 94145, 94146, 94147, 94151, 94153, 94154, 94156, 94158, 94159, 94160, 94161, 94162, 94163, 94164, 94171, 94172, 94177, 94188
Nearby utilities
- City of Daly City Daly City · 31 mi
- Marin Municipal Water District Corte Madera · 32 mi
- California Water Service – South San Francisco South San Francisco · 36 mi
- North Marin Water District Novato · 36 mi
- California Water Service – San Mateo San Mateo · 41 mi
- City of Petaluma Petaluma · 42 mi
Questions
Is San Francisco tap water safe to drink?
Most of San Francisco gets its water from San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division 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 Francisco water have PFAS?
EPA tested San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division for 29 PFAS between Mar 2023 and Mar 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in San Francisco water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division 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 CA3810011: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID CA3810011).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division'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: (650) 652-3100.
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission City Distribution Division 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.