Santa Barbara Tap Water Quality Report
Santa Barbara's water has 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. Consider using a certified water filter for additional protection.
Other systems listed for Santa Barbara with results above guidelines: GOLETA WATER DISTRICT (1 above guidelines), SAN MARCOS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY (2 above guidelines), VIEJA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY (1 above guidelines)
Water system
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT
9 other systems are listed for Santa Barbara. See their figures
People Served
95,628
Health-based violations since 2020
0
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT. EPA SDWA violation data as of Q2 2026 (downloaded 2026-07-09).
Latest sample on file
Sep 2025 · CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT
Utilities publish newer results in their annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report).
Is Santa Barbara Tap Water Safe to Drink?
We recommend using a certified water filter for additional protection, especially for vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Santa Barbara's water has 2 contaminants above EPA health-based guidelines (MCLGs), while it meets federal legal limits.
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT, Santa Barbara's water system, serves 95,628 people. 9 other systems are listed for Santa Barbara. Each system's results are listed under its own name, never added to CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT's. Water quality testing is conducted regularly and reported to the EPA. The latest sample on file for CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT is from Sep 2025.
In EPA's 2023–2026 UCMR 5 testing, CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT measured lithium at up to 42.5 µg/L, which EPA counts as above its health reference level of 10 µg/L. That level is a screening value EPA uses to decide what to study further, not a legal limit, and this result does not change this page's water-quality summary.
Boil water advisories are issued by water systems and state agencies, and they change from day to day. Boil water advisories in California
Santa Barbara Water Service Areas
What these numbers actually mean for Santa Barbara, CA
We read Santa Barbara, CA’s published record and send you a short report — which findings warrant a decision, which to ignore, and what to do about it. Including when the answer is nothing.
- 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs and 6 contaminants with an EPA health goal detected in some samples (no level on file)
- 212 results on file
- 23 PFAS compounds on record
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Recommended Water Filters for Santa Barbara
Based on Santa Barbara's water quality data, these NSF-certified filters are recommended to remove contaminants above EPA MCLGs.
Culligan
ZeroWater
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
1.9 gpm
Daily Production
1 gpd
Highlights:
- Compact design
- Easy to set up
- Affordable
- NSF-42, NSF-53, NSF-401 certified
Removes 19 contaminants:
+14 more
Strontium, Molybdenum, Fluoride, Uranium, Lead, Total PFAS, Chlorine, 25, Phosphorus, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Carbonate, Magnesium, Sodium
Santevia
Bath Filter
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
0.36 gpm
Highlights:
- Organic cotton design reduces plastic used in construction
- Affordable upfront & ongoing cost
- The only bath filter that removed 100% chlorine with “normal” faster faucet flow
Removes 1 contaminants:
Waterdrop
A1
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
1 gpm
Highlights:
- Performance certified
- Lower price than Philips
- Hot water dispensing
- Compact design
Removes 5 contaminants:
Whirlpool Corporation
W11256135
NSF Certified:
Capacity
1001 gal
Filter Life
3 mo
Flow Rate
0.7 gpm
Removes 19 contaminants:
+14 more
Benzene, Carbofuran, Chlorine (Free), Chlorine (Total), Chlorine Dioxide, Chlorobenzene, Cryptosporidium, Ethylbenzene, Lead, Mercury, Metolachlor, Tetrachloroethylene, Toxaphene, Turbidity
Test Your Water Quality
Professional laboratory testing provides accurate, detailed analysis of your drinking water.
SimpleLab
Advanced Home Water Test
$269
Comprehensive water analysis testing over 200 contaminants including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemical compounds.
Tap Score
Advanced Microplastics Test
$829
Cutting-edge testing for microplastics particles in drinking water using advanced laboratory techniques.
Tap Score
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9) Test
$275
Tests for disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water treatment.
What Santa Barbara's water readings can explain
Utility-reported data for Santa Barbara includes sulfate and a chlorine-based disinfectant — the readings behind these common tap water questions. We publish a city-level hardness figure for Santa Barbara, resolved from its water systems where they report one and estimated from county sampling where they do not. Each page starts with the hot-tap and cold-tap check, then shows what your own water system reported.
On a private well near Santa Barbara? Public-water results do not apply to private wells. See Santa Barbara County well water testing and USGS risk data — modeled arsenic, nitrate, and the tests to run.
Water softener cost and installation in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara's tap water measures 12.9 grains per gallon (220.0 mg/L) — very hard on the USGS scale, the range where scale on fixtures and appliances is the usual complaint.
Water softener cost for 12.9 gpg water in Santa Barbara — equipment and local installation labour for your ZIP code, with the sizing arithmetic shown in full. For the national picture first, read what a water softener costs — equipment, installation labour and ten-year ownership, each separated out. For California as a whole, read water softener cost in California — priced against the plumber wage published for the state.
Frequently Asked Questions About Santa Barbara Tap Water
Santa Barbara's water has 2 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. While the water meets federal legal limits, we recommend using a certified water filter for additional protection, especially for vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.
Spotted something off on this page?
Residents keep our data honest.
This form corrects our data; it does not reach CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT. For a problem with your water now (discolored water, no water, low pressure, a leak), contact CITY OF SANTA BARBARA WATER DEPARTMENT directly.
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