# Santa Cruz Water Department — Santa Cruz, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

> Contaminant levels for the Santa Cruz Water Department — Santa Cruz, Ca, CA public water system from its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/santa-cruz-water-department-santa-cruz-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/santa-cruz-water-department-santa-cruz-ca/2023
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2023
- Contaminants measured: 28
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 10
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 1
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 0.86–1.54 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Chlorate | Disinfection byproducts | 300 ug/L (Average) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | 800 ug/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 39–62 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | At or above the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 58–72 ug/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Approaching the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.59 mg/L (Reported level) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0.22–0.35 mg/L (Reported level) | Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 0–0.04 mg/L (Reported level) | Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 0–0.92 ug/L (Reported level) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.03–0.04 mg/L (Reported level) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 74–88 mg/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Chromium, Hexavalent | Metals | 0.17–0.29 ug/L (Reported level) | Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.23 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 36–54 ug/L (Average) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Magnesium | Metals | 28–28 mg/L (Average) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Potassium | Metals | 6.7–7.9 mg/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Silica | Metals | 71–75 mg/L (Average) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 42–50 mg/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Vanadium | Metals | 0–0.002 mg/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | 0.05 mg/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | 0 % (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | None detected |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 1 (Highest single sample) | Number of Detections | 0 (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–1.7 ng/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | 500 ng/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–2.1 ng/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | 3 ng/L (NL) | Within the limit |
| PFOS | PFAS ("forever chemicals") | 0–2.2 ng/L (Average) | Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant | 6.5 ng/L (NL) | Within the limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 191–196 mg/L (Average) | Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 247–316 mg/L (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 8–8.2 (Average) | Beltz Water Treatment Plant | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOC | Physical & aggregate | 1.2–2.3 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **Chlorate** — A byproduct that can form during disinfection, especially when hypochlorite solutions degrade. Has no enforceable federal limit but is on the EPA contaminant candidate list; high levels can affect the thyroid.
- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Aluminum** — A common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. Regulated only as a secondary (cosmetic) standard; high levels can discolor water.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Chromium, Hexavalent** — Hexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. A known carcinogen by inhalation; regulated nationally only within the total-chromium limit, with stricter limits in some states.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Lithium** — A naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. No enforceable federal limit; on the EPA contaminant candidate list for further study.
- **Magnesium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **Potassium** — A naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. Not federally regulated for health.
- **Silica** — A naturally occurring compound from sand and rock. Not federally regulated for health; relevant mainly for industrial water use.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Escherichia coli (E. coli)** — Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. Its presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination and a real risk of waterborne illness.
- **Total Coliform** — A group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence signals that disease-causing organisms could enter the system.
- **Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' Has no standalone limit but is part of the EPA PFAS Hazard Index that limits PFAS in combination.
- **Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid** — Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' Regulated by the EPA at 10 parts per trillion and included in the PFAS Hazard Index.
- **PFOS** — Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune effects; the EPA set an enforceable limit of 4 parts per trillion.
- **Alkalinity** — A measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. Not federally regulated for health; relevant to corrosion control and treatment.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **pH** — A measure of how acidic or basic the water is. Regulated only as a secondary standard; very low or high pH can corrode pipes or affect taste.
- **TOC** — Total organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. Not harmful itself, but it is the raw material that forms disinfection byproducts; removal is a treatment requirement.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-06-04 from thewatermap.com._