Is Goleta Water District Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: Surface water
Ownership: Local government
Counties served: Santa Barbara

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

health-based violations

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
TT	Health-based	Resolved	1993-07-01 → 1993-12-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	1993-07-01 → 1993-12-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	1993-07-01 → 1993-12-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	1993-07-01 → 1993-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2011-01-01 → 2011-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	2011-01-01 → 2011-12-31
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	1998-09-01 → 1998-09-30
MR	Monitoring	Resolved	1998-09-01 → 1998-09-30

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).

Contaminant	Max	Detection rate	Period
Pfhxa	0.0045 µg/L	2/22	2025
Pfpea	0.0059 µg/L	2/22	2025

Other contaminants detected

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the single worst sample on record — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Detection rate	Source	Period
TTHM	100 µg/L 125% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 80 µg/L	289/299	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromochloromethane	34 µg/L No EPA limit set	285/299	SYR4	2012–2019
Bromodichloromethane	40 µg/L No EPA limit set	282/299	SYR4	2012–2019
Chloroform	61 µg/L No EPA limit set	270/299	SYR4	2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	35 µg/L 58% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L	233/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid	15 µg/L No EPA limit set	212/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid	7.3 µg/L No EPA limit set	208/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Bromoform	13 µg/L No EPA limit set	207/299	SYR4	2012–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid	16 µg/L No EPA limit set	205/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Fluoride	650 µg/L 16% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L	131/131	SYR4	2012–2019
Combined Uranium	8.642 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L	56/93	SYR4	2012–2019
Nitrate	4500 µg/L 45% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	50/314	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	35/35	LCR	2024
Lithium	53.5 µg/L No EPA limit set	22/22	UCMR-5	2025
Arsenic	11 µg/L 110% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10 µg/L	21/102	SYR4	2012–2019
Gross Beta Particle Activity	6.4 pCi/L No EPA limit set	16/62	SYR4	2012–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite	100000 µg/L 1000% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10000 µg/L	13/102	SYR4	2012–2019
Monobromoacetic Acid	1.9 µg/L No EPA limit set	10/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Monochloroacetic Acid	2.4 µg/L No EPA limit set	9/269	SYR4	2012–2019
Selenium	19 µg/L 38% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L	8/97	SYR4	2012–2019
Copper	130 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L	7/100	SYR4	2012–2019
Toluene	25 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L	4/102	SYR4	2012–2019
Cyanide	170 µg/L 85% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L	3/69	SYR4	2012–2019
Tetrachloroethylene	1 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L	3/104	SYR4	2012–2019
Asbestos	0.3900 MFL 5.6% of the EPA limit 7 MFL	2/62	SYR4	2012–2019
Chromium	38 µg/L 38% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L	2/97	SYR4	2012–2019
Ethylbenzene	3.3 µg/L 0.5% of the EPA limit 700 µg/L	2/102	SYR4	2012–2019
Xylenes, Total	20 µg/L 0.2% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L	2/101	SYR4	2012–2019
Barium	67 µg/L 3.4% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L	1/97	SYR4	2012–2019
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	1.08 pCi/L 22% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L	1/1	SYR4	2018

81 contaminants tested, none detected

1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,3,7,8-TCDD2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEndrinGlyphosateHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoLeadMercuryMethoxychlorNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSimazineStyreneThallium, TotalTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl Chloridecis-1,2-DichloroethyleneO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: MATSON, DAVID
Phone: 805-879-4621
Email: dmatson@goletawater.com

Frequently asked questions about Goleta Water District

Is Goleta Water District tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 32 contaminants in Goleta Water District's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Goleta Water District's water?

EPA monitoring detected TTHM, Dibromochloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Goleta Water District serve?

Goleta Water District reports serving 84,462 people in California, per its EPA record.

Has Goleta Water District had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 8 violations on file for Goleta Water District, of which 4 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.