whatsinmywater.co
EPA SDWIS · Santa Barbara County, California

Is SANTA BARBARA, CA Tap Water Safe?

SANTA BARBARA is served by 3 water providers on file with the EPA.

Data current as of July 2026
🔍Straight from EPA
🧪Real Lab Results
📅Updated Quarterly
🏠Local Expertise
Results for SANTA BARBARA, CA

3 water providers on file serving this city.

Quick answer: SANTA BARBARA's water has no violations on file and no single reading stands out against its peers (3 other providers in this area). It serves roughly 99,323 people, and the full breakdown below reflects everything EPA and California have on record for it.

Contaminants found

Metals
Naturally occurring or corrosion-related elements, e.g. lead, arsenic, copper
Lead Summary
Detected: 0 mg/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Iron
Detected: 71 UG/L (ppb)
5/20/2025
Mostly an aesthetic issue (metallic taste, staining) rather than a health concern at typical levels.
Manganese
Detected: 26 UG/L (ppb)
5/20/2025
Mainly a taste/staining concern at typical levels; long-term neurological research at high chronic exposure is ongoing.
Lead
Detected: 1.5 UG/L (ppb)
6/9/2025
A metal that can leach from old pipes, solder, and fixtures. Current medical guidance holds there is no truly safe level of lead exposure, especially for children and pregnant women.
Barium
Detected: 130 UG/L (ppb)
6/9/2025
Zinc
Detected: 8.6 UG/L (ppb)
5/20/2025
Disinfection Byproducts
Formed when chlorine used to disinfect water reacts with organic matter
Totalhaloaceticacids (HAA5)
Detected: 12 UG/L (ppb)
8/4/2025
TTHM
Detected: 43 UG/L (ppb)
Found at 2 providers
A group of disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the legal limit has been linked to increased cancer risk in some studies.
Chloroform
Detected: 23 UG/L (ppb)
Found at 2 providers
One of the individual trihalomethane disinfection byproducts, formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter.
Bromoform
Detected: 2.4 UG/L (ppb)
Found at 2 providers
Bromodichloromethane
Detected: 11 UG/L (ppb)
Found at 2 providers
Dibromochloromethane
Detected: 7.8 UG/L (ppb)
Found at 2 providers
Inorganics
Common dissolved minerals and salts, e.g. nitrate, fluoride, chloride
Chloride
Detected: 26 MG/L (ppm)
5/20/2025
Sulfate
Detected: 160 MG/L (ppm)
5/20/2025
Fluoride
Detected: 0.32 MG/L (ppm)
6/9/2025
Often added deliberately for dental health; can also occur naturally.
Minerals
Everyday minerals that mainly affect taste and water hardness
Magnesium
Detected: 45 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Potassium
Detected: 2.8 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Sodium
Detected: 48 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Calcium
Detected: 130 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Properties
General water characteristics like pH, hardness, and cloudiness (turbidity)
Hardness, Total (ASCACO3)
Detected: 404 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
pH
Detected: 7.77 PH
5/20/2025
A measure of how acidic or basic the water is (7 is neutral). Affects taste and plumbing, not a direct health measure.
PFAS & Emerging Contaminants
Human-made "forever chemicals" and other substances not yet fully regulated
Lithium
Detected: 39.3 µg/L (ppb)
4/8/2024
Occurs naturally in some groundwater. Not currently federally regulated in drinking water.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
Industrial solvents and fuel-related chemicals that evaporate easily
Bromide
Detected: 0.05 MG/L (ppm)
10/6/2025
Calculated Parameters
Values worked out mathematically from other test results, not measured directly
Alkalinity, Bicarbonate
Detected: 240 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Other
Additional substances tested that don't fit neatly into the categories above
Dichloroaceticacid
Detected: 4 UG/L (ppb)
8/4/2025
Trichloroaceticacid
Detected: 5.1 UG/L (ppb)
8/4/2025
Dibromoaceticacid
Detected: 1.1 UG/L (ppb)
8/4/2025
Temperature (CENTIGRADE)
Detected: 22 C
Found at 2 providers
Alkalinity, Total
Detected: 390 MG/L (ppm)
Found at 2 providers
Carbon, Total
Detected: 3.36 MG/L (ppm)
10/6/2025
Aggressive Index
Detected: 12.7 AGGR
5/20/2025
TDS
Detected: 530 MG/L (ppm)
5/20/2025
Turbidity
Detected: 0.35 NTU
5/20/2025
A measure of water cloudiness from suspended particles.
Odor
Detected: 2 TON
5/20/2025
Conductivity (at 25°C)
Detected: 760 UMHO/CM
5/20/2025
Filtration considerations: General system types, not a specific product recommendation.
Contaminant Whole-House Carbon Under-Sink RO Under-Sink Carbon
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)YesYesYes
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)YesYesYes
ChloroformYesYesYes
Chlorine / TasteYesYesYes
Sediment / TurbidityYesYesYes
TrichloroethyleneYesYesYes
TetrachloroethyleneYesYesYes
cis-1,2-DichloroethyleneYesYesYes
1,1-DichloroethyleneYesYesYes
BromoformYesYesYes
BromodichloromethaneYesYesYes
DibromochloromethaneYesYesYes
1,1,2-TrichloroethaneYesYesYes
Vinyl ChlorideYesYesYes
Carbon TetrachlorideYesYesYes
BenzeneYesYesYes
TolueneYesYesYes
XyleneYesYesYes
Totalhaloaceticacids (HAA5)YesYesYes
BromideYesYesYes
LeadPartialYesPartial
ArsenicPartialYesPartial
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)PartialYesPartial
CopperPartialYesPartial
Combined UraniumPartialYesPartial
PFOAPartialYes*Partial
PFOSPartialYes*Partial
NitratePartialYesPartial
Combined RadiumPartialYesPartial
LithiumPartialYes*Partial
DichloroaceticacidPartialYesPartial
TrichloroaceticacidPartialYesPartial
DibromoaceticacidPartialYesPartial
Temperature (CENTIGRADE)PartialYesPartial
Alkalinity, TotalPartialYesPartial
Carbon, TotalPartialYesPartial
Aggressive IndexPartialYesPartial
TDSPartialYesPartial
ChloridePartialYesPartial
SulfatePartialYesPartial
FluoridePartialYesPartial
OdorPartialYesPartial
IronPartialYesPartial
ManganesePartialYesPartial
BariumPartialYesPartial
ZincPartialYesPartial
Conductivity (at 25°C)PartialYesPartial
Coliform Bacteria (indicator)NoYesNo
MagnesiumNoPartialNo
PotassiumNoPartialNo
SodiumNoPartialNo
CalciumNoPartialNo
Hardness, Total (ASCACO3)NoNoNo
Alkalinity, BicarbonateNoNoNo
pHNoNoNo

Individual water providers

Browse by city

Browse by county

Want a different ZIP, city, or address?
Look up your water quality →
Learn more
What is TTHM? Understanding EPA Violation Status Is Chromium-6 Dangerous? Whole-House vs. Under-Sink Filtration Lead and Copper in Drinking Water What is PFAS? Arsenic and Uranium Explained Nitrate and Fluoride Explained Water Hardness, pH, and Turbidity What is Coliform Bacteria?