NM / Santa Cruz
NM · Tap water records
Santa Cruz tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in Santa Cruz. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, Santa Cruz is served by 2 active community water systems, together reported to serve about 814 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 339 violations across the community water system(s) serving Santa Cruz, going back to the earliest EPA record. 106 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
Cuatro Villas Mdwca
420 served · groundwater · PWSID NM3533526 - 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.
- Health-based Groundwater Rule: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 7 times between March 2020 and September 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 Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 34 times between October 1999 and October 2025. 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 Groundwater Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in June 2024. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Public Notice: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 19 times between July 2005 and September 2022. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- 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 October 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Chlorine: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 3 times in October 2021. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Asbestos: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times in January 2020. 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 4 times between January 2006 and October 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Santa Cruz Water Association
394 served · groundwater · PWSID NM3572926 - Health-based Combined Uranium: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 68 times between January 2016 and October 2025. The EPA record lists a level of 59 UG/L; the limit (MCL) is 30 UG/L. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- 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.
- Health-based Groundwater Rule: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 29 times between February 2013 and May 2022. 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: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 6 times between January 2012 and October 2025. 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 20 times between October 1999 and July 2025. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- 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 Public Notice: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 79 times between February 2012 and February 2023. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Groundwater Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between April 2019 and February 2022. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Revised Total Coliform Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 29 times between June 2016 and December 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Chlorine: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 29 times between April 2016 and October 2021. 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 January 2018. 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 January 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
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.