Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in San Jose, CA tap water
20 contaminants were measured in the San Jose, CA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 20
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 1
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in San Jose, CA
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
Lithium
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
San Jose, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 10 sources.
Source
- WELL 05 - EVERGREEN
- WELL 03 - EVERGREEN
- WELL 02 - EVERGREEN
- WELL 04 - EVERGREEN
- + 6 more
Treatment
Distribution
Also buys water from SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
19 historically-detected contaminants in San Jose, CA
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
TTHM worst: 2015 | 0.0754 mg/L 94% | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2018 | 4.4 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2019 | 0.0237 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2017 | 2.9 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '16'17'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2017 | 0.0021 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '17 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2014 | 0.013 mg/L within above national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '14 |
BARIUM worst: 2017 | 0.17 mg/L within near national p90 | 2 mg/L | '14'17 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2017 | 0.29 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '13'14'16'17'19 |
GROSS BETA worst: 2017 | 0.148 mrem/yr within | 4 mrem/yr | '17 |
TRICHLOROETHANE 111 worst: 2017 | 0.0012 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '14'17 |
URANIUM worst: 2017 | 0.000438 ug/L within below national p90 | 30 ug/L | '17 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0042 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0025 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2014 | 0.0027 mg/L | — | '14'15'16'17'18 |
TCAA worst: 2014 | 0.0037 mg/L | — | '14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.012 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.013 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.018 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.014 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium, TotalTotal chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 3.2 ug/LAverageGroundwater | 10 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, VW Surface Water, Mountain Surface Water
| |||
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.23 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LAction level | Within the limit |
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | Not detected mg/LAverageGroundwater | 1 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Mountain Surface Water, VW Surface Water
| |||
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | Not detected ug/L90th percentileAt the tap | 15 ug/LAction level | None detected |
| SeleniumA trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | Not detected ug/LAverageMountain Surface Water | 50 ug/LMCL | None detected |
+By source (3)— Mountain Surface Water, Groundwater, VW Surface Water
| |||
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1.17 mg/LRunning annual avgSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDL | Within the limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | 3.3 pCi/LAverageVW Surface Water | 15 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Mountain Surface Water, VW Surface Water
| |||
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | Not detected pCi/LAverageMountain Surface Water | 5 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, VW Surface Water, Mountain Surface Water
| |||
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BromateA disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. | 1.7 ug/LAverageVW Surface Water | 10 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— VW Surface Water, Groundwater, Mountain Surface Water
| |||
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptosporidium | Not detectedAverageVW Surface Water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Mountain Surface Water, VW Surface Water
| |||
| Giardia lamblia | 0.22AverageMountain Surface Water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Mountain Surface Water, VW Surface Water
| |||
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0.13 %AverageSystem-wide | 0 %MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.9 NTUAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, VW Surface Water, Mountain Surface Water
| |||
People also ask about San Jose, CA's water
+Is San Jose, CA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 20 contaminants measured in San Jose, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in San Jose, CA tap water?
20 contaminants were measured in San Jose, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, disinfection byproducts, and microbial. 17 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Are any contaminants in San Jose, CA tap water approaching the federal limit?
One contaminant is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: TTHM. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from San Jose, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is San Jose, CA's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.