We read 12 results from Santa Cruz Water Department’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 2 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 94,626 people · Water system ID CA4410010 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenicaverage · range ND to 0.82 · Beltz Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.39 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal98x the health goal |
| Chromium-6average · range 0.07 to 0.15 · Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.12 ppb | 0.02 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal6x the health goal |
| Chlorineaverage · range 0.11 to 1.52 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.86 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of 44 homes tested, 1 over the action level · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 14 | 0.23 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)average · range 2 to 54 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 13 | 39 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)average · range 11 to 86 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 13 | 66 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluorideaverage · range 0.4 to 0.54 · Beltz 12 Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.49 ppm | 1 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of 44 homes tested, 1 over the action level · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 14 | Not detected | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Not detected |
| Nitrate (as N)average · range 0.15 to 0.26 · Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.2 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| PFHxS (a PFAS)average · range 1.9 to 2.5 · Beltz Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 14 | 2.2 ppt | None set | 10 ppt from 2029 | Below the legal limit |
| PFOS (a PFAS)average · range ND to 2.1 · Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 14 | 0.98 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Below the health goal |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant · 2025 report, page 13 | 0.09 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Santa Cruz Water Department’s water between Jul 2023 and Apr 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium54 ppbFound in 4 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb (a guide, not a legal limit)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
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