Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Santa Rosa, CA tap water
30 contaminants were measured in the Santa Rosa, CA water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 4 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 30
- Over federal limit
- 4
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Worst contaminant
- Lead
- Service area
- CA
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in Santa Rosa, 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)above national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Santa Rosa, CA's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 5 sources.
Source
- FARMERS LN. · 2
- CARLEY WELL - STANDBY
- PETER SPRING WELL - STANDBY
- LEETE WELL - STANDBY-TEMP OFFLINE
Treatment
- TREATMENT PLNT-FARMERS LN WELLS 01&02
- TREATMENT PLANT - LEETE WELL - STANDBY
- TREATMENT PLANT - CARLEY WELL - STANDBY
- + 1 more
Distribution
Also buys water from SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
1 contaminant historically over EPA limits in Santa Rosa, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
GROSS BETA worst: 2014 | 7.42 mrem/yr 1.9× | 4 mrem/yr | '14'15 |
TTHM worst: 2015 | 0.0487 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2014 | 0.0037 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '14'18 |
HAA5 worst: 2014 | 0.0168 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2014 | 0.25 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'14'15 |
BARIUM worst: 2012 | 0.0648 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'14'15 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2015 | 0.00062 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '15 |
COPPER worst: 2014 | 0.00056 mg/L below national p90 | — | '14'15'18 |
DBAA worst: 2012 | 0.0024 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DCAA worst: 2012 | 0.006 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TCAA worst: 2012 | 0.0056 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00819 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BROMOFORM worst: 2012 | 0.00157 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.0131 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.00696 mg/L | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 0–11.6 ug/LRangeSanta Rosa | 0.2 ug/LPublic health goal | At or above the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| Chromium, HexavalentHexavalent chromium ('chromium-6') — the more toxic form of chromium. | 0.29–0.47 ug/LRangeSonoma Water | 0.02 ug/LPublic health goal | At or above the limit |
+By source (2)— Sonoma Water, Santa Rosa
| |||
| ManganeseA naturally occurring metal from soil and rock. | 0–8.3 ug/LRangeSanta Rosa | 20 ug/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 26.7–27.9 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 47–50.2 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SulfateA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 13–15 mg/LRangeSonoma Water | 0.5 mg/LMCL | At or above the limit |
+By source (2)— Sonoma Water, Santa Rosa
| |||
| ChlorideA naturally occurring salt compound. | 16.4–21.7 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | 500 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | Not detected mg/LReported levelSonoma Water | 10 mg/LPublic health goal | None detected |
+By source (2)— Sonoma Water, Santa Rosa
| |||
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RadonA naturally occurring radioactive gas that can dissolve into groundwater. | 445–455 pCi/LRangeSanta Rosa | 100 pCi/LMCL | At or above the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColorA measure of visible tint in the water. | 0–6RangeSonoma Water | 15MCL | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Sonoma Water, Santa Rosa
| |||
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 340–360 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | 1000 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| Specific ConductanceA measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. | 450–490RangeSanta Rosa | 1600MCL | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| OdorA measure of detectable smell in the water. | Not detectedRangeSanta Rosa | 1MCL | None detected |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| AlkalinityA measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. | 230–240 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| HardnessA measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. | 137–142 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 7.5–8.6RangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Santa Rosa, Sonoma Water
| |||
| TemperatureThe measured temperature of the water sample. | 10.6–28.8RangeSanta Rosa | 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 levelSanta Rosa | 0Public health goal | None detected |
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0Reported levelSanta Rosa | 0Public health goal | None detected |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acidHFPO-DA ('GenX chemicals'), a newer-generation PFAS replacement compound. | Not detected ng/LRangeRange Detected | 10 ng/LMCL | None detected |
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acidPerfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LReported levelReporting Value | 500 ng/LMCLG | None detected |
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acidPerfluorohexanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | Not detected ng/LReported levelReporting Value | 3 ng/LMCLG | None detected |
| PFOAPerfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in nonstick and stain-resistant products. | Not detected ng/LRangeRange Detected | 5.1 ng/LMCLG | None detected |
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | Not detected ng/LRangeRange Detected | 10 ng/LMCL | None detected |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.18–1.74 mg/LRangeSanta Rosa | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Santa Rosa, CA's water
+Is Santa Rosa, CA tap water safe to drink in 2024?
The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report for the Santa Rosa, CA water utility lists 4 contaminants at or above the federal limit: Lead, Sulfate, Chromium, Hexavalent, and Radon. Whether that means the water is "unsafe" depends on which contaminant, how long the exposure, and individual health factors. The table on this page shows the measured value, the federal threshold, and the regulated statistic used for compliance.
+What contaminants are in Santa Rosa, CA tap water?
30 contaminants were measured in Santa Rosa, CA's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning physical & aggregate, metals, and pfas ("forever chemicals"). 22 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Which contaminants exceed federal limits in Santa Rosa, CA tap water?
4 contaminants in Santa Rosa, CA's 2024 report sit at or above the federal limit: Lead (58.0× the limit); Sulfate (30.0× the limit); Chromium, Hexavalent (23.5× the limit); Radon (4.5× the limit). The EPA enforces these limits against the regulated reporting statistic — typically a running annual average or 90th percentile — not a one-off sample spike.
+What is the worst contaminant in Santa Rosa, CA tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2024 report is Lead, at 58.0× the federal threshold. It belongs to the metals family of contaminants.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, 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.