City of Santa Fe Water System water quality
Santa Fe, NM · serves 90,810 people (33,297 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID NM3505126
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Buckman Regional Water Treatment Plant. 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 18 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 20.9 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 level1.1 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 2026 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Oct 2024.
- 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 Santa Fe Water System's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (505) 955-4373. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 7 entry points tested Sep 2023 to May 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 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 4 of 18 samples. Highest result 20.9 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: 1.1 ppb lead (Jan 2026 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 1.9 ppb (Jun 2025).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2026 – now (in progress) | 1.1 ppb |
| Jul 2025 – Dec 2025 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | 1.9 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0.93 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 1.8 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2.2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 0 ppb |
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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | The system did not publish the required inventory of lead service lines (due October 2024). It says nothing about lead levels in the water. EPA record: Lead and copper rule revisions · LSL Inventory Resolved |
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 | 70 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 1.9 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 5.3 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 380 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 9.2 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.43 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.082 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 87501, 87502, 87503, 87504, 87505, 87506, 87507, 87508, 87509, 87592, 87594
Nearby utilities
- Rio Rancho Water & Water Works Services Rio Rancho · 48 mi
- Albuquerque Water System Albuquerque · 54 mi
- Roswell Municipal Water System Roswell · 178 mi
- Elephant Butte Water System Elephant Butte · 185 mi · PFAS above limit
- Las Cruces Municipal Water System Las Cruces · 235 mi
Questions
Is City of Santa Fe Water System water safe to drink?
City of Santa Fe Water System had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 City of Santa Fe Water System water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Santa Fe Water System for 29 PFAS between Sep 2023 and May 2025 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in City of Santa Fe Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Santa Fe Water System is 1.1 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2026 (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 NM3505126: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID NM3505126).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Santa Fe Water System at (505) 955-4373, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
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.