Santa Cruz Water Department
EPA ID: CA4410010 · 94,626 people served · 13 ZIP codes
Per EPA records, Santa Cruz Water Department: 9 unresolved violations, 94,626 people in service area.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 2 (2021) to 36 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Santa Cruz Water Department Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade D
Service Area Demographics
The Santa Cruz Water Department serves a community with a median household income of $119,130 and an estimated 168,207 residents across its service area. Approximately 75% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Santa Cruz Water Department'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 1% of homes in Santa Cruz 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 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Santa Cruz Water Department compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Lead at 6 mg/L (action level) exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.015 mg/L (action level). Brain damage in children, kidney & blood pressure in adults. Consider reverse osmosis filtration.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 4 detections recorded.
Lead was detected in this water system. reverse osmosis filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →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 CRUZ WATER DEPARTMENT (EPA ID: CA4410010) is a community water system in California that serves approximately 94,626 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 13 ZIP codes across 8 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: D (53/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | Lead | Health-based | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2025 | Lead | Health-based | Unresolved |
| October 1, 2024 | Lead | Health-based | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Lead | Health-based | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2024 | Lead | Health-based | Unresolved |
| April 1, 2024 | Combined Radium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Lead | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Combined Radium | Health-based | Unresolved |
| October 1, 2023 | Combined Radium | Health-based | Unresolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Inorganic | 6 | Yes |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 3 | Yes |
Health Risk Details
Lead (EPA limit: 0.015 mg/L (action level))
Brain damage in children, kidney & blood pressure in adults At-risk groups: infants, children under 6, pregnant women.
Removal methods: reverse osmosis, distillation, certified carbon block filter (NSF/ANSI 53). Find the right filter →
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95060 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 95061 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 95062 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 95063 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 95064 | 0.001 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 95065 | 0.001 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: 10 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 3 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.
- 95003 — Aptos
- 95010 — Capitola
- 95017 — Davenport
- 95018 — Felton
- 95041 — Mount Hermon
- 95060 — Santa Cruz
- 95061 — Santa Cruz
- 95062 — Santa Cruz
- 95063 — Santa Cruz
- 95064 — Santa Cruz
- 95065 — Santa Cruz
- 95066 — Scotts Valley
- 95073 — Soquel
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Santa Cruz Water Department (CA4410010) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Cruz Water Department water safe to drink?
Santa Cruz Water Department has recorded 8 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does Santa Cruz Water Department serve?
Santa Cruz Water Department serves approximately 94,626 people across 13 ZIP codes in California.
Where does Santa Cruz Water Department 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 Cruz Water Department 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 Cruz Water Department Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
SCWD conducts a Watershed Sanitary Survey of our surface water sources every five years. An evaluation of water treatment plant capabilities and treated water quality provides an assessment of the ability of a water utility to treat their source water.
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 Cruz Water Department 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: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
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 Cruz Water Department.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. PFAS detection data is sourced from public Consumer Confidence Reports filed by the utility itself.
SCWD completed its lead service line inventory, as required by USEPA Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). SCWD determined that its distribution system has no lead or galvanized requiring replacement service lines.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
City of Santa Cruz Water Department
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
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 Cruz Water Department 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 Cruz Water Department
Your utility reported water hardness of 152 ppm CaCO₃ (8.9 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Santa Cruz Water Department (EPA ID: CA4410010) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.