Water Quality FAQs

Yes. The water system is maintained and continuously monitored by a team of highly skilled water industry professionals including Water Treatment Operators, Water Distribution Operators, Engineers, Water Quality Analysts, and Administrative Staff. We meet or exceed health-based drinking water standards for tap water quality.

The City of Santa Cruz Water Department will immediately issue drinking water advisories/notices in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act if there are any concerns about the safety of your water. We will distribute the notices through various communication channels to ensure we reach our customers. The methods include television, radio, social media, door hangers, our website, automated methods, and other methods of communication.

The central coast is unique in California because we are dependent on local water sources. To provide water to our service area, the City of Santa Cruz depends on supplies from four locales: North Coast Sources, the San Lorenzo River, Loch Lomond Reservoir, and the Live Oak Wells. The variation of water sources allows for the production of the highest-level quality of drinking water throughout the year. For further information on water sources please visit Where Does Our Water Come From.

Certified Water Treatment Operators continuously monitor the water quality at the water treatment plants. In addition, Water Quality Staff collect weekly water quality samples throughout the City’s service area, testing over 100 samples per month.

The City of Santa Cruz Water Department uses chlorine as a method of disinfection. Chlorine is a disinfectant which will destroy or inactivate pathogenic organisms (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) found in raw water. The Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) is a set of drinking water regulations mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that requires the disinfection of surface water to protect against existing pathogenic organisms. Chlorination is a safe, effective, and economical method to ensure the destruction and inactivation of harmful pathogenic organisms in drinking water.

No. The City of Santa Cruz Water Department does not add fluoride to its water. There is a naturally occurring level of fluoride, equaling 0.2 ppm (parts per million or mg/L), found in the treated drinking water.

Lead in drinking water is primarily derived from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Santa Cruz Water Department is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in indoor plumbing components. There is no lead in the water produced by our water treatment plants. Visit Lead and Drinking Water for more information.

You may contact the Water Quality Laboratory to schedule a free lead test: (831) 420-5480 or WaterQuality@santacruzca.gov.

Water hardness represents the total concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in the water.

The City of Santa Cruz Water Department’s tap water is “moderately” hard. Refer to the most recent Consumer Confidence Report on the Water Quality Reports page for the City’s average water hardness. You can also call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480 to receive more detailed water hardness results near your home.

Hard water is not known to cause any adverse health effects.

The conversion factor for mg/L of hardness to grains per gallon hardness is: One grain per gallon of hardness is equivalent to 17.1 mg/L.

If you are experiencing an emergency medical condition call 911 or see your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor or emergency care provider will determine if your illness is water related. The Water Quality Laboratory will be notified if your doctor or emergency care person has determined that your illness may be caused by domestic drinking water.

The City of Santa Cruz Water Department (SCWD) delivers clean, safe drinking water to your home. Should you choose to use a home treatment device, there are many types to select from, including filter pitchers, distillers, reverse osmosis systems, adsorptive media systems, aerators, and water softeners. SCWD does not recommend a specific brand of home water treatment devices. For more information on home water treatment devices, check out general information from the California State Water Resources Control Board on home water treatment devices.

Residential Water Treatment Devices

The water that we provide to your meter consistently meets or surpasses all State and Federal drinking water standards. However, for those who would like to have the water within their residence tested, you may contact a state certified drinking water commercial laboratory. As a courtesy to our customers, we have provided the link to the State-certified commercial laboratories below. As a public utility, we do not endorse the services of any of these laboratories.

California ELAP Certified Laboratories

The City of Santa Cruz Water Department distribution crews repaired or maintained a section of water main that services water to your area. Following the water main repair, a Water Quality Laboratory representative collected chemical and microbiological water samples from an outside faucet at your residence. The collection of this water sample ensures that the repair did not affect the water quality. If you have any questions or concerns following a water main repair conducted in your area, please call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480.

Responsibility will depend on the location of the water issue. If a water quality issue occurs anywhere in the distribution system up to the meter it is the City’s responsibility. If there is a water quality issue after the meter it is the homeowner’s responsibility.

In general, odors are enhanced during periods of warmer weather. Therefore, the chlorine odor may be due to an increase in water temperature. Water temperature may increase if pipes are exposed (i.e., above ground) and during the summer months when there are long periods of hot weather. The bleach like odor/taste is most often related to chlorine in the drinking water. The chlorine levels in the water leaving the treatment plant and throughout the distribution system are monitored daily to ensure effective and safe levels. Chlorine is a disinfectant that kills off harmful pathogenic organisms in the water system and is an essential part of ensuring that drinking water is safe. There are many charcoal filters available on the market for home faucets that will reduce the amount of chlorine coming from your tap. For more information on home water treatment devices, check out general information from the California State Water Resources Control Board on home water treatment devices.

The sulfur odor is not coming from the drinking water, but rather from the drain. Running water may sometimes agitate the putrid water found in sink drains, releasing the gases up into the sink. To verify that it is the drain causing the odor and not the water, collect a sample in a clean glass container and smell the water away from the kitchen/bathroom. If the odor is undetectable in the glass but is detectable at the sink, then the odor is from the drain. If after conducting this experiment there is still a “sulfur” odor, please call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480.

Under-heated hot water heaters may produce an environment for thermophilic sulfur bacteria that produce the sulfur odor in hot water. To reduce the production of thermophilic sulfur bacteria, increase the temperature of your hot water heater to 140ºF. Single handle mixing faucets may result in a sulfur odor from the cold-water side, as single handle mixing faucets produce a mix of ~95% pure cold and ~5% warm water. Therefore, if your hot water has a sulfur odor due to an under-heated hot water heater, the cold water may have a faint sulfur odor as well. One way to determine if the odor is from the hot water heater is to collect a sample from an outside hose faucet in a clean container. If there is a sulfur odor from the outside hose faucet, please call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480.

Cloudy or milky water is caused by the presence of air bubbles in the water. Air bubbles may be due to the overheating of hot water systems (above 140ºF), recent shutdown of water service, extended periods of non-use or by the warming of cold-water lines. Let a glass of water stand for several minutes. If the bubbles rise to the top, then the cloudiness/milkiness is due to the presence of air. If the bubbles settle to the bottom of the glass, call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420- 5480.

Rusty/brown colored water is caused by rust that is released into the water from the distribution system or from your plumbing system. Discoloration due to disturbances in the distribution system may take up to 30 minutes to clear, while discoloration due to rust within your plumbing system should clear within five minutes. If the discoloration is due to a disturbance to the distribution system (main break, flushing, changes in pressure, etc.), allow for the water to settle for 30 minutes before turning on your house faucets to flush the system. If the water has not cleared after 30 minutes, call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480. If the discoloration is coming from your plumbing system, it may be caused by rust build-up within galvanized iron pipe, hot water heaters, cross-connections, recent plumbing repairs, or water softener resin beads. Call your water filter service agent or a plumber for repairs.

White particles can be attributed to pipe scale, the hot water heater, or a water softener. Naturally occurring minerals found in drinking water, such as calcium and magnesium carbonate, combine to form pipe scale which is deposited on the inside of pipes. Once established, pipe scale will usually flake off over a long period of time. However, turbulence, water softener systems and galvanized steel piping may increase the rate at which pipe scale enters the water. Turbulence is created when the water service is turned on after being off for repairs. Soft water may re-dissolve the minerals and pieces may break off into the plumbing system. Galvanized steel pipes will corrode over time and as they corrode, they begin to swell, causing particles to be dislodged. If you find white particles in your water shortly after there has been a water-line repair conducted in your area, please call the Water Quality Laboratory at (831) 420-5480. The formation of white particles can also be from precipitates, or the dip tube found in hot water heaters. Naturally occurring minerals accumulate in the hot water heater tank and are subsequently carried through the hot water pipes, eventually clogging faucet aerators, washing machines and shower heads. Refer to your hot water heater manual for guidance on how to prevent minerals from accumulating. Hot water heaters can also put white particles into the water from the heater’s dip tube. The dip tube allows for cold water to enter the water heater and as it ages will begin to disintegrate, depositing white particles into the hot water. Contact your water heater manufacturer for more information. Water softeners contain small round beads called water softener resin beads. If your water softener system fails, the resin beads are carried through your pipes and come out of each faucet that has a connection to the water softener system. Additionally, water softener resin beads can break and release resin, causing color, bead particles and a plastic slimy deposit in your piping. Bead size and color may vary depending on manufacturer. If you see particles of a uniform size and color and you have a water softening system, please call your service agent for repairs.

The ‘red sand’ in the water is caused by water softener resin beads that are found in the resin bed of a water softening system. If your water softener system fails, the resin beads may enter your pipes and come out of each faucet that has a connection to the water softening system. Bead size and color may vary depending on manufacturer, but they are commonly described as “red fish eggs”. Please call your water softener service agent for repairs.

Black particles are attributable to four common sources: water filters, gaskets, rubber hoses and steel pipes. Black particles from water filters, which may look like coffee grounds, are granular activated carbon (GAC). Black particles from gaskets, which appear solid but are rubbery in texture, will likely be found coming from a single faucet, and this faucet will likely be leaking. Black particles from rubber hoses, which appear as oily small black specks, are due to a rubber hose disintegrating over time. To remediate the problem, call your water filter service agent or plumber for repairs.

Residue left behind on fixtures, white surfaces, and pots after water evaporates are calcium and magnesium carbonates. These are naturally occurring minerals and do not pose a health hazard. Carbonate deposits can be dissolved with white vinegar. Dishwasher deposits can be minimized by using a commercial conditioner, by using liquid detergents and by using the air-dry instead of the power-dry setting on your dishwasher, which bakes the carbonates onto glassware.