California tap water by county
Hardness, PFAS sampling, lead and violations for the largest water systems in 22 California counties. In 20 of them, at least one large system detected PFAS in EPA testing (a detection isn't a violation).
| County | Largest system | Hardness | PFAS detected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | Los Angeles-City, Dept. of Water & Power | 6.0 gpg (high) | 2 of 6 systems |
| San Diego County | San Diego, City of | 200–285 mg/L (varies) (high) | 1 of 6 systems |
| Orange County | City of Anaheim | 135–431 mg/L (varies) (high) | 5 of 6 systems |
| Riverside County | Eastern Municipal WD | 12.6 gpg (low) | 4 of 6 systems |
| San Bernardino County | San Bernardino City | 8.9 gpg (low) | 2 of 5 systems |
| Santa Clara County | San Jose Water | 77–451 mg/L (varies) (high) | 2 of 6 systems |
| Alameda County | East Bay MUD | 17.1–153.9 mg/L (varies) (high) | 3 of 6 systems |
| Sacramento County | City of Sacramento Main | 15–154 mg/L (varies) (high) | 4 of 6 systems |
| Contra Costa County | Contra Costa Water District | 9.3 gpg (low) | 0 of 6 systems |
| Fresno County | City of Fresno | 7.5 gpg (high) | 3 of 6 systems |
| Kern County | Cws - Bakersfield | 7.0 gpg (low) | 2 of 6 systems |
| Ventura County | Oxnard Water Dept | 27.5 gpg (low) | 1 of 6 systems |
| San Francisco County | Sfpuc City Distribution Division | 3.6 gpg (high) | 1 of 3 systems |
| San Joaquin County | City of Stockton | 7.6 gpg (low) | 5 of 6 systems |
| San Mateo County | City of Daly City | 3.8 gpg (low) | 0 of 6 systems |
| Stanislaus County | Modesto, City of | 13.4 gpg (low) | 2 of 6 systems |
| Sonoma County | Santa Rosa, City of | 6.8 gpg (low) | 3 of 6 systems |
| Tulare County | Cws - Visalia | 1.8 gpg (low) | 3 of 6 systems |
| Solano County | City of Vallejo | 15.2 gpg (low) | 2 of 6 systems |
| Santa Barbara County | City of Santa Maria Utilities Department | 29.6 gpg (low) | 1 of 6 systems |
| Monterey County | Cal Am Water Company - Monterey | 12.9 gpg (low) | 1 of 6 systems |
| Placer County | City of Roseville | 2.0 gpg (low) | 1 of 6 systems |
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Hardness confidence: high = utility report; low = county estimate of untreated local water. Don't see your county? Use the water quality lookup.