CA / Santa Barbara
CA · Tap water records
Santa Barbara tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in Santa Barbara. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, Santa Barbara is served by 15 active community water systems, together reported to serve about 117,916 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 57 violations across the community water system(s) serving Santa Barbara, going back to the earliest EPA record. 11 of these are classified by the EPA as health-based (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks); the rest are monitoring or reporting violations. Each is listed by system below, with its status.
What the EPA has on record, by system
City Of Santa Barbara Water Department
99,323 served · surface water · PWSID CA4210010 As of June 2026, EPA records show no reported violations for this system in the period covered. This is not a guarantee about every substance, or about the water inside your home's plumbing.
Montecito Water Dist
11,962 served · surface water · PWSID CA4210007 - Monitoring Surface Water Treatment Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 3 times in March 2024. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
La Cumbre Mutual Water Co
4,861 served · surface water · PWSID CA4210024 As of June 2026, EPA records show no reported violations for this system in the period covered. This is not a guarantee about every substance, or about the water inside your home's plumbing.
San Vicente Water Company
550 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4210005 - Monitoring Revised Total Coliform Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in June 2017. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Coliform (TCR): a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in March 2016. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring E. COLI: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in September 2013. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2001. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Magic Mountain Mutual Water Company
221 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4900637 - Health-based Groundwater Rule: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 2 times in April 2019. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Health-based Lead and Copper Rule: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 2 times in February 2014. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Health-based Coliform (TCR): a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 2 times in November 2007. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring contaminant code null: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Las Positas Mutual Water Company
200 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200572 - Monitoring Nitrate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2021. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2002. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Ellwood Mutual Water Company
186 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200693 - Health-based LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded once in October 2024. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2024. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2023. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Nitrate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in January 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between July 2003 and July 2006. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Painted Cave
160 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200578 - Health-based Coliform (TCR): a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 2 times in November 1996. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Nitrate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between July 2003 and July 2006. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
San Marcos Mutual Water Company
120 served · surface water · PWSID CA4200580 As of June 2026, EPA records show no reported violations for this system in the period covered. This is not a guarantee about every substance, or about the water inside your home's plumbing.
Montecito Sea Meadows
70 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200733 - Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2017. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between July 2002 and July 2003. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Cachuma Village
60 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200505 - Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 5 times between October 2017 and October 2022. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5): a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in June 2020. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring TTHM: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in June 2020. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Nitrate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in January 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2002. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Vieja Mutual Water Company
60 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200702 - Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2024. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Nitrate: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in January 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2002. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Lingate Lane Mutual Water Company
55 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200633 - Health-based LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded once in October 2024. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2024. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2002. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Esterina Properties
50 served · groundwater · PWSID CA5602101 - Health-based LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded once in October 2024. The EPA record for these does not include a measured level. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2024. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between July 2004 and July 2009. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between January 1996 and March 2001. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Rosario Park
38 served · groundwater · PWSID CA4200579 As of June 2026, EPA records show no reported violations for this system in the period covered. This is not a guarantee about every substance, or about the water inside your home's plumbing.
What this means
A health-based violation means a contaminant was recorded above the limit the EPA tracks for it. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was late or missed — not that a contaminant was measured above a limit. “Returned to compliance” means the EPA recorded the issue as resolved.
This page summarizes the EPA's own records and does not assess whether your water is safe to drink. For the most current details, you can verify every record directly with the EPA, and contact your water system with questions.
Source: U.S. EPA Envirofacts SDWIS, retrieved June 2026. Records cover the EPA's full reporting history for these systems. Verify at EPA ECHO.