Drinking water quality · 2026
· Verified
What's in City of Santa Clara, CA tap water
28 contaminants were measured in the City of Santa Clara, CA water system's 2026 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2026
- Contaminants measured
- 28
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in City of Santa Clara, 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
City of Santa Clara, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 21 sources.
Source
- WELL · 13
- WELL 13-02
- WELL 22-02
- WELL 18-02
- + 5 more
Treatment
Distribution
Also buys water from SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT, SAN FRANCISCO REGIONAL WATER SYSTEM.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
1 contaminant historically over EPA limits in City of Santa Clara, 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: 2016 | 0.089 mg/L 1.1× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
HAA5 worst: 2018 | 0.056 mg/L 93% | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2014 | 6.55 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2016 | 6.1 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '15'16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2014 | 0.0048 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '14'17'18 |
BARIUM worst: 2013 | 0.21 mg/L within near national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2017 | 0.19 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.021 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0066 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.017 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
MBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0018 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'16'19 |
MCAA worst: 2017 | 0.002 mg/L | — | '17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.02 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.014 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.064 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.027 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific ConductanceA measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. | 666.5 UMHO/CMAverageSource water | 1600 UMHO/CMMCL | Within the limit |
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 359 MG/LAverageSource water | 1000 MG/LMCL | Within the limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.85 NTUAverageSource water | 5 NTUMCL | Within the limit |
| ColorA measure of visible tint in the water. | 2 UNITSAverageSource water | 15 UNITSMCL | Within the limit |
| OdorA measure of detectable smell in the water. | Not detected TONHighest single sampleSource water | 3 TONMCL | None detected |
| AlkalinityA measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. | 132 MG/LAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 7.6 PHAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Disinfection byproducts
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PerchlorateA chemical used in rocket fuel and fireworks that can also form during disinfection. | 1.055 UG/LAverageSource water | 6 UG/LMCL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IronA naturally occurring metal common in groundwater. | Not detected UG/LHighest single sampleSource water | 300 UG/LMCL | None detected |
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | Not detected UG/LHighest single sampleSource water | 50 UG/LMCL | None detected |
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 31.900000000000002 MG/LAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| MagnesiumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 18.4 MG/LAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PotassiumA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 1.05 MG/LAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 22.4 MG/LAverageSource water | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about City of Santa Clara, CA's water
+Is City of Santa Clara, CA tap water safe to drink in 2026?
Every one of the 28 contaminants measured in City of Santa Clara, CA's 2026 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 Clara, CA tap water?
28 contaminants were measured in City of Santa Clara, CA's 2026 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning disinfection byproducts, physical & aggregate, and metals. 13 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 Clara, CA's 2026 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 Clara, 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 2026 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.