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Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026

ESCONDIDO, CITY OF

Serving 137,044 residents in ESCONDIDO, California .

National rank 59th percentile
California rank 74th percentile
Data confidence Medium
Quick answer

ESCONDIDO, CITY OF delivers tap water graded C (73/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 137,044 residents in ESCONDIDO, California using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 760-839-6290.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
137,044
People served
1
City served
23
Contaminants detected
13
Above health guidelines

Is ESCONDIDO tap water safe to drink?

ESCONDIDO, CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (73/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.

The utility serves 137,044 residents in ESCONDIDO, drawing from surface water.

Public testing data identifies 13 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Chlorite, Bromoform, Uranium, Chlorate. 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 ESCONDIDO, CITY OF (system ID CA3710006) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

No EPA violations in the last 3 years.
0 of 12quarters with a violation
Nolead above EPA action level
09/24/2021last state inspection

Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for ESCONDIDO, CITY OF.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 31.3 ppb, 522x 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.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 32.3 ppb, 215x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Contact ESCONDIDO, CITY OF

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

Recommended water filters for ESCONDIDO

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)

$180-$599

Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.

Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter
$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

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 73/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
19 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
17 / 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
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
31.3 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 522× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
36.2 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 — — — 362× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
32.3 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 — — — 215× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
10.8 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 180× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
9.62 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 96× over
Dibromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.62 ppb 0.03 — — — — — 54× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
3.61 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 36× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
9.39 ppb 0.4 — — — — — 23× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
4.3 ppb 0.2 — — — — — 21× over
Chlorite
Disinfection byproduct
295.5 ppb 50.0 1000.0 — — — — 5.9× over
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
2.41 ppb 0.5 — — — — — 4.8× over
Uranium
Radiological
2.06 pCi/L 0.43 20.0 30 30 0.43 — 4.8× over
Chlorate
Disinfection byproduct
349.4 ppb 210.0 — — — — — 1.7× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.012 ppb 0.02 — — — — — Below guideline
Bromochloromethane
Other
0.00931 ppb 0.06 — — — — — Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
3.46 ppb 40.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Barium
Heavy metal
55.2 ppb 700.0 2000.0 — 1300 2000 — Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
5.96 ppb 100.0 — 50 80 — — Below guideline
Monobromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.165 ppb 25.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Vanadium
Other
0.134 ppb 21.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.694 ppb 1500.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.605 ppm — 4.0 1.5 1.5 — — Below guideline
Lithium
Other
22.8 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.

ESCONDIDO, CITY OF service area

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

About this water system

Public Water System ID
CA3710006
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water
Service connections
27,476
Service area
ESCONDIDO, San Diego County, California