# City of Santa Maria Utilities Department — Santa Maria, Ca, CA — Drinking Water Quality (2023)

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

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ca/santa-maria-utilities-department-santa-maria-ca/2023
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ca/santa-maria-utilities-department-santa-maria-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: 20
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 8
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.86–1.2 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 2.1–3.8 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Aluminum | Metals | 50 ug/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Boron | Metals | 142 ug/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | 1000 ug/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Calcium | Metals | 90–98 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Copper | Metals | 200 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Magnesium | Metals | 40–43 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Potassium | Metals | 2.8–2.9 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 53–54 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Vanadium | Metals | 3.4 ug/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | 50 ug/L (NL) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 0 % (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | 0 % (Public health goal) | None detected |
| Chlorine Total | Other | 2–3.3 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Approaching the limit |
| Chromium | Other | 1.1 ug/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | No federal limit | Within the limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 148–180 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 388–420 mg/L (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| pH | Physical & aggregate | 7.5–8 (Range) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 100 % (Average) | Purchased State Project Water | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 3.1 pCi/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | 15 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Uranium | Radionuclides | 1.8 pCi/L (Average) | Local Groundwater | 20 pCi/L (MCL) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **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.
- **Boron** — A naturally occurring element from rock and soil. No enforceable federal limit; the EPA has issued a health advisory level.
- **Calcium** — A naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling and taste.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **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.
- **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.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.
- **Gross Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.
- **Uranium** — A naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can damage the kidneys and increase cancer risk.

## 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._