Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT delivers tap water graded F (53/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 109,477 residents in SANTA MARIA, California using surface water (purchased). The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic* significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 805-925-0951.
Is SANTA MARIA tap water safe to drink?
CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (53/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 109,477 residents in SANTA MARIA, drawing from surface water (purchased).
Public testing data identifies 15 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Arsenic*, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent), Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Nitrate, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Uranium, Chloroform, Bromoform, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 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.
Quick actions for SANTA MARIA residents
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 SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 36.2 ppb, 362x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 19.1 ppb, 319x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Arsenic* significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic* detected at 1.05 ppb, 263x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Contact CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for SANTA MARIA
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
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 53/100 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 |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
19.1 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 319× over |
| Arsenic* Heavy metal |
1.05 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 263× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
12.6 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 84× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.0 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 67× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
1.06 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 53× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.49 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 50× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.3 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 43× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
2.38 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 17× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.01 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.732 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7.3× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
3.0 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 7.0× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
2.59 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.5× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
1.71 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.4× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.152 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 1.7× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
83.8 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
3.39 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
4.3 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum* Heavy metal |
28.1 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid* Disinfection byproduct |
0.295 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid* Disinfection byproduct |
0.248 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.117 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.518 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.329 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.573 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
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.
CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT service area
This water system serves 1 community in Santa Barbara County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for SANTA MARIA water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.