Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026

CITY OF STOCKTON

Serving 191,302 residents in STOCKTON, California .

National rank 11th percentile
California rank 26th percentile
Data confidence Medium
Quick answer

CITY OF STOCKTON delivers tap water graded F (51/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 191,302 residents in STOCKTON, California using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 209-937-8438.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
191,302
People served
1
City served
28
Contaminants detected
15
Above health guidelines
0
EPA violations (5 yr)

Is STOCKTON tap water safe to drink?

CITY OF STOCKTON delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (51/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.

The utility serves 191,302 residents in STOCKTON, drawing from surface water.

Public testing data identifies 15 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Chromium (hexavalent), Bromodichloromethane, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Nitrate, Uranium, Bromoform, Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). 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 STOCKTON.

PFAS contamination

Severe concern

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.

Arsenic significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Arsenic detected at 2.92 ppb, 730x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 27.8 ppb, 463x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 36.2 ppb, 362x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.

Contact CITY OF STOCKTON

Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.

Recommended water filters for STOCKTON

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon

$80-$750

Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO
$600-$750 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →
Waterdrop N1 Countertop RO
$249-$329 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →
Clearly Filtered Pitcher Filter
$80-$95 NSF 42, 53, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Reverse Osmosis

$249-$750

Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO
$600-$750 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →
Waterdrop N1 Countertop RO
$249-$329 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →

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 51/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
10 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
4 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
7 / 10

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
Arsenic
Heavy metal
2.92 ppb 0.004 10.0 10 10 0.004 730× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
27.8 ppb 0.06 463× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
36.2 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 362× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
43.4 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 290× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
2.71 ppb 0.02 136× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
6.27 ppb 0.06 105× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
9.35 ppb 0.1 94× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
31.7 ppb 0.4 79× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
14.6 ppb 0.2 73× over
Dibromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.71 ppb 0.03 57× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
4.18 ppb 0.1 42× over
Nitrate
Inorganic
2.73 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 20× over
Uranium
Radiological
4.47 pCi/L 0.43 20.0 30 30 0.43 10× over
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
2.97 ppb 0.5 5.9× over
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
PFAS
0.804 ppt 0.3 4.0 100 100 1 2.7× over
Radium, combined (-226 and -228)
Radiological
0.05 pCi/L 0.05 5.0 Below guideline
Vanadium
Other
16.7 ppb 21.0 Below guideline
1,2,3-Trichloropropane
Other
0.000518 ppb 0.0007 Below guideline
Chlorate
Disinfection byproduct
56.4 ppb 210.0 Below guideline
Barium
Heavy metal
112.6 ppb 700.0 2000.0 1300 2000 Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
5.67 ppb 100.0 50 80 Below guideline
1,4-Dioxane
Semi-volatile organic compound
0.00744 ppb 0.35 50 1 Below guideline
Monobromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.19 ppb 25.0 Below guideline
Monochloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.296 ppb 53.0 Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
0.211 ppb 40.0 Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.387 ppb 1500.0 Below guideline
1,1-Dichloroethane
Volatile organic compound
0.000413 ppb 3.0 Below guideline
Chromium (total)
Heavy metal
0.545 ppb 100.0 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 STOCKTON service area

This water system serves 1 community in San Joaquin County, California. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
CA3910012
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water
Service connections
51,522
Service area
STOCKTON, San Joaquin County, California