Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
City of San Jose Water Department
City of San Jose Water Department delivers tap water graded B (77/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 1,027,000 residents in San Jose, California using surface water blended from the Hetch Hetchy/local watersheds. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Chromium-6 detected. For questions, the utility can be reached at (213) 395-4024.
Is San Jose tap water safe to drink?
City of San Jose Water Department delivers tap water that earns a grade of B (77/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a good rating, with only minor concerns relative to health-based guidelines.
The utility serves 1,027,000 residents in San Jose, drawing from surface water blended (Hetch Hetchy/local watersheds) and disinfecting with free chlorine.
Public testing data identifies 12 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Nitrate, Nitrate, Chromium-6 (Hexavalent), Chromium-6 (Hexavalent), Nitrate, Chromium-6 (Hexavalent). For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for City of San Jose Water Department.
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic Acids (HAA5) detected at 37.2 ppb, 372x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Chromium-6 detected
Moderate concernChromium-6 detected at 0.43 ppb.
Contact City of San Jose Water Department
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Water Quality Contact
For questions about contaminants, test results, or your Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for San Jose
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Chromium-6 requires reverse osmosis for reliable removal. Standard carbon filters do not address it.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 77/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
37.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 2023 | 372× over |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
33.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 2022 | 335× over |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
32.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 2024 | 325× over |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
22.8 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 2023 | 38× over |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
21.1 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 2024 | 35× over |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
18.1 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 2022 | 30× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.94 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 2022 | 28× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.2 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 2024 | 23× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.43 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 2024 | 22× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.411 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 2023 | 21× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
2.38 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 2023 | 17× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.303 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 2022 | 15× over |
| Contaminant | Detected (2024) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
21.1 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 35× over |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
32.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 325× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.43 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 22× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.2 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 23× over |
| Contaminant | Detected (2023) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
22.8 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 38× over |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
37.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 372× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.411 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 21× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
2.38 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 17× over |
| Contaminant | Detected (2022) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
18.1 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 30× over |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
33.5 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 335× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.303 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 15× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.94 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 28× over |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database, and City of San Jose Water Department's Consumer Confidence Report.
City of San Jose Water Department service area
This water system serves 1 community in Santa Clara County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for San Jose water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.