Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
CWSC SALINAS
CWSC SALINAS delivers tap water graded C (69/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 123,679 residents in SAN JOSE, California using groundwater. The most significant water quality concerns are: Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Chromium (hexavalent) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 408-367-8593.
Is SAN JOSE tap water safe to drink?
CWSC SALINAS delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (69/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.
The utility serves 123,679 residents in SAN JOSE, drawing from groundwater.
Public testing data identifies 12 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Nitrate and nitrite, Uranium, Dibromochloromethane, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Dibromoacetic acid, Bromoform, Radium, combined (-226 and -228). 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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CWSC SALINAS (system ID CA2710010) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for SAN JOSE residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for CWSC SALINAS.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 3.38 ppb, 846x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
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.
Chromium (hexavalent) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernChromium (hexavalent) detected at 3.27 ppb, 164x above the EWG health guideline of 0.02 ppb.
Contact CWSC SALINAS
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 SAN JOSE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)
$429-$599Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
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 69/100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
3.38 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 846× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
36.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 362× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
3.27 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 164× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
4.48 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 32× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
3.38 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 24× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
5.62 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 13× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.639 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.4× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
0.901 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 6.0× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
0.283 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.7× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.1 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.3× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
1.15 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.3× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.07 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 1.4× over |
| Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) Volatile organic compound |
0.0382 ppb | 0.06 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.2 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
117.1 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
10.4 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.0217 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
4.81 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
6.18 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| MTBE Volatile organic compound |
1.45 ppb | 13.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
70.0 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.0517 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.461 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,1-Dichloroethane Volatile organic compound |
0.000478 ppb | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1-Butanol Other |
0.0905 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 4-Androstene-3,17-dione Other |
0.016 ppt | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
7.03 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.275 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.00857 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
26.2 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | 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.
CWSC SALINAS service area
This water system serves 1 community in Monterey 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.