Drinking water quality · 2023
What's in City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA tap water
31 contaminants were measured in the City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA water system's 2023 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Contaminants measured
- 31
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- CA
state-level CCR
Compliance history
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act violation & enforcement records (EPA SDWIS). A violation is a regulatory determination by the state or EPA — separate from the measured levels above.
- Maximum contaminant level exceededHealth-based1 violation on record · most recent Jul 1996resolved
Source: EPA SDWIS / ECHO. View the full federal record on EPA ECHO ↗
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.62 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LAction level | Within the limit |
| SeleniumA trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 8.6 ug/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 0.0 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 0.015 mg/LAction level | None detected |
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | 0.05 mg/LAverageDesalinated Water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (3)— Desalinated Water, Surface Water, Groundwater
| |||
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 0.19 ug/LAverageGroundwater | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Groundwater, Surface Water
| |||
| GermaniumA trace metalloid found in some source water. | 0.42 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| LithiumA naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. | 22.7 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | 0.81 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.82 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | 1.11 mg/LAverageGroundwater | 10 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.44 mg/LAverageSurface Water | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Surface Water, Groundwater, Desalinated Water
| |||
| Dichloroacetic acidA haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 6 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Desalinated Water, Surface Water
| |||
| Trichloroacetic acidA haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 4.2 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Desalinated Water, Surface Water
| |||
| Bromochloroacetic acidA mixed-halogen haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 3.9 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| Dibromoacetic acidA brominated haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 2.3 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
| Chlorodibromoacetic acidA brominated haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 2.2 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| BromideA naturally occurring salt found in source water. | 24000 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.09 NTUHighest single sampleSystem-wide | None set | Within the limit |
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 3.5 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
Other
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate Nitrite | 0.25 mg/LAverageGroundwater | 10 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
| Mcaa | 0.99AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli (E. coli)Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. | 0Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | None detected |
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 2Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BromateA disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. | 3.1AverageSurface Water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Bromodichloroacetic acidA brominated haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct. | 3.5 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| BromodichloromethaneA trihalomethane disinfection byproduct. | 7.4AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| BromoformA trihalomethane disinfection byproduct. | 0.92AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| ChloroformA trihalomethane formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. | 13AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| DibromochloromethaneA trihalomethane disinfection byproduct. | 5.2AverageSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Beta Particle ActivityGross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. | 10.6 pCi/LAverageDesalinated Water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Desalinated Water, Groundwater
| |||
| UraniumA naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. | 2.9 pCi/LAverageGroundwater | 20 pCi/LMCL | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (3)— Groundwater, Surface Water, Desalinated Water
| |||
Source: City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required to publish. The numbers on this page are the utility's own. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
People also ask about City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA's water
+Is City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA tap water safe to drink in 2023?
Every one of the 31 contaminants measured in City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA's 2023 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 City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA tap water?
31 contaminants were measured in City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning inorganic chemicals, metals, and disinfection byproducts. 5 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, CA's 2023 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 City of Santa Barbara Water Department — Santa Barbara, Ca, 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 2023 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.
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