CITY WATER REPORT
Is San Diego Tap Water Safe? 2026 Water Quality Report
SAN DIEGO, CITY OF serves San Diego · 1,385,379 residents.
- Utility
- SAN DIEGO, CITY OF
- Population served
- 1,385,379
- Water source
- Surface water
- Disinfectant
- chloramine
- Hardness
- 12.9 gpg · very hard
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): not detected (limit 4.0 ng/L).
About this score
What the record shows
SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (EPA PWSID CA3710020) delivers surface water to 1,385,379 residents. This report reflects 3 federally regulated PFAS result(s) from the 2024 UCMR5 round and the latest Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile result. The utility's 2025 CCR reports very hard water and chloramine disinfection.
Your water system
resolution confirmed
- SAN DIEGO, CITY OF — serves most of the city
SAN DIEGO, CITY OF is the primary municipal supplier for most San Diego addresses. Confirm your supplier on your utility bill.
SAN DIEGO, CITY OF is the public system on record for this city. This identifies which utility serves the city — confirm yours on your water bill before acting on a specific finding.
What stands out in San Diego
Each row links to a dated measurement in the supplier profile. A missing measurement is never shown as a non-detect.
What this data doesn’t tell you
Public water-system monitoring reflects the system, not the water at an individual household tap at a given moment. Home plumbing, fixtures, storage, sampling location and timing can all change what actually reaches your glass.
The data behind this report
| Contaminant | Result | Benchmark | Sampled | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | UCMR5 Analytical Results — SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (CA3710020) |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) | < 4 ng/L | 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | UCMR5 Analytical Results — SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (CA3710020) |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) | < 10 ng/L | 10.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) | 2024 | UCMR5 Analytical Results — SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (CA3710020) |
| Lead (90th percentile) | 0 µg/L | 15 µg/L federal action level | 2021-2023 | Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile — SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (CA3710020) |
| Water hardness | 12.9 gpg | Aesthetic — no federal health limit | 2025 | City of San Diego 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) |
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2024
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Result
- < 4 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2024
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Result
- < 10 ng/L
- Benchmark
- 10.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024)
- Sampled
- 2024
Lead (90th percentile)
- Result
- 0 µg/L
- Benchmark
- 15 µg/L federal action level
- Sampled
- 2021-2023
Water hardness
- Result
- 12.9 gpg
- Benchmark
- Aesthetic — no federal health limit
- Sampled
- 2025
Every value is the published result from the cited public record. A reporting limit is the lowest level the method could reliably quantify — a non-detect is not a guarantee of zero.
What can you do about it?
To reduce exposure to what was reported in San Diego, these treatment technologies are relevant to the contaminants found here:
- Reverse osmosis
- NSF/ANSI 53 lead-certified filters
- Replacing lead service lines
- Ion-exchange water softener
- Salt-free conditioner
- Reverse osmosis (point-of-use)
Understand water treatment technologies — then the specific products below are matched to these findings.
Recommended solutions
Water softener / salt-free conditioner
hardnessOur pick: AFWFilters Fleck 5600 SXT Digital Water Softener with 10% Crosslink Resin
Recommended because Reduces scale from hard water and protects appliances and fixtures.
Also worth considering
NSF/ANSI 53 lead-reduction filter (optional)
leadOur pick: Clearly Filtered Water Filter Pitcher, 10 Cup BPA Free Water Filtration
Recommended because There is no safe level of lead, and older home plumbing can add it at the tap.
Recommendations are matched to the published findings first; the commercial offer is looked up afterwards and never changes which products qualify. As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Who provides tap water in San Diego?
SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (PWS ID CA3710020) is the public water system on record for San Diego, California. Confirm the utility on your water bill before acting on a specific finding.
Where does San Diego get its drinking water?
Surface water (primary source of record in EPA SDWIS).
What does the latest San Diego water report show?
Across the tracked parameters, PurityMap's current record for San Diego shows 1 contaminant measured above its benchmark and 4 within benchmark. Each finding links to its dated public record; a parameter that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass.
Is there lead in San Diego's tap water?
In San Diego, lead is detected but within its action level in the published record. Lead can still enter water from household plumbing after it leaves the system, so a system result cannot rule out an individual tap — a certified home test is the only way to know yours.
Are PFAS "forever chemicals" in San Diego's water?
PFAS compounds appear in San Diego's published record; the findings show each one's measured state and how it compares to its benchmark.
Is San Diego's water hard?
San Diego's water is recorded as 12.9 gpg — very hard. Hardness is an aesthetic and plumbing characteristic, not a health-based limit.
Sources
Methodology: how we analyze water.
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- Systems published
- 1 of 1
- Latest sample on record
- 2024 (PFAS) / LCR (lead)
The record, not the water. These describe how completely the city is monitored — not a quality score.