Water System Report CA

City of San Diego

EPA ID: CA3710020 ยท 1,385,379 people served ยท 54 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA SDWIS for City of San Diego (CA3710020): no EPA violations recorded in the last five years. EPA monitoring data for City of San Diego shows an unblemished five-year compliance history - no violations of any kind have been recorded for this utility, which supplies water to approximately 1,385,379 people, covering every reporting cycle without a single MCL exceedance or monitoring lapse.

Data: EPA SDWIS

A ยท 91
Avg Safety Score
1,385,379
People Served
54
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Surface Water
Water Source
Zone 3
Radon Risk ยท Low
0
Contaminants Flagged
$870K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Service Area Map

Coverage area for City of San Diego Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary - Grade A

Service Area Demographics

$103,897
Median Household Income
1,796,076
Service Area Population
25%
Disadvantaged Population
40th
Poverty Percentile
20th
Energy Burden Percentile
66%
Pre-1986 Housing

The City of San Diego serves a community with a median household income of $103,897 and an estimated 1,796,076 residents across its service area. Approximately 66% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

๐ŸŒŠ Where Does Your Water Come From?

Surface Water

City of San Diego'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.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
31th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
21th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

49 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
20 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 71% of expected lifespan used End of life

PFAS Detected in Service Area

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 34 detections recorded. 6 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 3 exceed state limits.

State limits: PFOA: 0.0051 ppt, PFOS: 0.0065 ppt
Health concern: PFAS are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and developmental effects. They do not break down naturally.
Recommended filter: Reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon filters certified for PFAS removal. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in California

A 0 violations
San Jose Water
1,039,920 people
1 violation
0 violations
B 0 violations
City of Fresno
545,716 people
C 0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Flood Insurance Water Filtration PFAS Treatment Radon Mitigation
Flood Insurance $1,206
Water Filtration $459
PFAS Treatment $94
Radon Mitigation $31
Total Estimated Cost $1,790

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.

Cost of Inaction

If water quality issues in this service area are not addressed, the estimated financial impact per household is:

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $1,790 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Estimates based on published EPA, CDC, and peer-reviewed research. Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These are conservative lower-bound estimates intended for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

City of San Diego, (EPA ID: CA3710020) is a community water system in California that serves approximately 1,385,379 people from surface water sources.

This system provides water to 54 ZIP codes across 14 communities.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: A (91/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 39 of 54 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.

Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0 mg/L No N/A

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20โ€“$50 (DIY kit) ยท Professional inspection: $150โ€“$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking โ€” this helps flush lead from your pipes.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by CA or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

This system serves 54 ZIP codes:

91902 ยท 91942 ยท 91945 ยท 91950 ยท 91977 92014 ยท 92025 ยท 92037 ยท 92064 ยท 92067 92071 ยท 92075 ยท 92091 ยท 92092 ยท 92093 92101 ยท 92102 ยท 92103 ยท 92104 ยท 92105 92106 ยท 92107 ยท 92108 ยท 92109 ยท 92110 92111 ยท 92113 ยท 92114 ยท 92115 ยท 92116 92117 ยท 92119 ยท 92120 ยท 92121 ยท 92122 92123 ยท 92124 ยท 92126 ยท 92127 ยท 92128 92129 ยท 92130 ยท 92131 ยท 92132 ยท 92134 92136 ยท 92139 ยท 92140 ยท 92145 ยท 92147 92154 ยท 92161 ยท 92173 ยท 92182

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of San Diego (CA3710020) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of San Diego water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for City of San Diego in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does City of San Diego serve?

City of San Diego serves approximately 1,385,379 people across 54 ZIP codes in California.

Where does City of San Diego get its water?

The primary water source is surface water.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.

Samples collected
464

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) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from City of San Diego safe to drink?
City of San Diego earns a A safety grade with 0 violations in the past 5 years. Tap water meets EPA standards for most contaminants.
Should I use a water filter?
City of San Diego meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does City of San Diego serve?
City of San Diego serves approximately 1,385,379 people with drinking water across 54 ZIP codes.
What is City of San Diego's water source?
City of San Diego draws water from surface water sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
What is the demographic profile of City of San Diego's service area?
The City of San Diego service area has a median household income of $103,897. Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does City of San Diego get its water?
City of San Diego'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. Based on available data, the source contamination risk is moderate.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). City of San Diego, CA: Serves 1.4M People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ca3710020/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-ca3710020,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{City of San Diego, CA: Serves 1.4M People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ca3710020/}
}
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