Santa Monica-city, Water Division
EPA ID: CA1910146 · 89,947 people served · 109 ZIP codes
Five clean years on EPA record — Santa Monica-city, Water Division, 89,947 residents served.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Santa Monica-city, Water Division Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The Santa Monica-city, Water Division serves a community with a median household income of $70,909 and an estimated 2,525,272 residents across its service area. Approximately 80% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 49% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Santa Monica-city, Water Division's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
About 2% of homes in Los Angeles County, California rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 70th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 71 detections recorded. 14 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 9 exceed state limits.
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in California
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Santa Monica-city, Water Division (EPA ID: CA1910146) is a community water system in California that serves approximately 89,947 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 109 ZIP codes across 4 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: B (79/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90401 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90402 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90403 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90404 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90405 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90406 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90407 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90408 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90409 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90410 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 90411 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: 7 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 102 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
This system serves 109 ZIP codes:
90001 · 90002 · 90003 · 90004 · 90005 90006 · 90007 · 90008 · 90009 · 90010 90011 · 90012 · 90013 · 90014 · 90015 90016 · 90017 · 90018 · 90019 · 90020 90021 · 90022 · 90023 · 90024 · 90025 90026 · 90027 · 90028 · 90029 · 90030 90031 · 90032 · 90033 · 90034 · 90035 90036 · 90037 · 90038 · 90039 · 90040 90041 · 90042 · 90043 · 90044 · 90045 90046 · 90047 · 90048 · 90049 · 90050 90051 · 90052 · 90053 · 90054 · 90055 90056 · 90057 · 90058 · 90059 · 90060 90061 · 90062 · 90063 · 90064 · 90065 90066 · 90067 · 90068 · 90070 · 90071 90072 · 90073 · 90074 · 90075 · 90076 90077 · 90078 · 90079 · 90080 · 90081 90082 · 90083 · 90084 · 90086 · 90087 90088 · 90089 · 90091 · 90093 · 90095 90096 · 90099 · 90101 · 90103 · 90189 90272 · 90291 · 90294 · 90401 · 90402 90403 · 90404 · 90405 · 90406 · 90407 90408 · 90409 · 90410 · 90411
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Santa Monica-city, Water Division (CA1910146) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Monica-city, Water Division water safe to drink?
Based on EPA records, Santa Monica-city, Water Division has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.
How many people does Santa Monica-city, Water Division serve?
Santa Monica-city, Water Division serves approximately 89,947 people across 109 ZIP codes in California.
Where does Santa Monica-city, Water Division get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from City of Santa Monica Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: City of Santa Monica Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
Between 2000 and 2012, the California State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW) completed Source Water Vulnerability Assessments for all the City's groundwater wells. In March and June 2012, MWD completed a source water assessment of its Colorado and State Project supplies.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Santa Monica Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
PFAS Substances Detected in This System
This water system's Consumer Confidence Report disclosed the following PFAS compounds. Levels are from the utility's most recent reporting cycle.
In April 2024, EPA finalized the first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. EPA — PFAS regulation overview →
Source: Consumer Confidence Report disclosed by City of Santa Monica.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Aesthetic water quality
These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.
Aesthetic measurements from City of Santa Monica Consumer Confidence Report.
Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.
Hard water detected in City of Santa Monica
Your utility reported water hardness of 104 ppm CaCO₃ (9.42 grains per gallon) in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report. This is in the moderately hard range and may cause scale buildup, reduced appliance lifespan, and dry skin or hair.
There are three common approaches to treating hard water: salt-based ion-exchange softeners (most effective, require salt refills), salt-free conditioners (lower maintenance, scale prevention only), and reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink (cooking and drinking water only). Aquasana, EcoWater, Pelican, and SpringWell are among the major US brands.
Paid Partner. ZipCheckup earns commission on Aquasana purchases. We do not test water or verify product effectiveness for specific hardness levels — manufacturer claims are theirs alone. Consult a certified water-quality professional for personalized advice.
Hardness data parsed from this utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report. Severity bands per USGS hard water classification.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- Completion of the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant Expansion and Olympic Well Field Restoration Projects.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.