Tap WaterIndex

← California

Tap water quality report

Watsonville, City of

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 102 contaminants and detected 24. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

102
contaminants tested
24
detected
65,231
people served
0
health-based violations
California rankingsLead in CaliforniaPFAS in California
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Santa Cruz

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.

0
health-based violations
1
violations on file
0
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
MR Monitoring Resolved 1993-06-30 → 2000-04-04

PFAS detected

PFAS are industrial “forever chemicals”. These are the EPA's latest nationwide test results (2023–2025).
ContaminantMaxDetection ratePeriod
PFBS 0.0063 µg/L 4/28 2025
PFHXS 0.0067 µg/L 4/28 2025
PFOS 0.0051 µg/L 4/28 2025
Pfhxa 0.0042 µg/L 3/28 2025
Pfpea 0.0044 µg/L 3/28 2025
PFOA 0.0065 µg/L 2/28 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.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Nitrate
15481 µg/L 155%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10000 µg/L
 828/888 SYR4 2012–2019
TTHM
80 µg/L 100%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
 232/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Dibromochloromethane
19 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 229/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Bromodichloromethane
25 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 210/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Bromoform
20 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 181/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Chloroform
50 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 135/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid
4.7 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 116/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid
22 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 81/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
52 µg/L 87%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
 81/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid
30 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 63/232 SYR4 2012–2019
Fluoride
300 µg/L 7.5%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
 42/44 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
0.0012 mg/L 8%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 38/38 LCR 2025
Lithium
27.3 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 27/28 UCMR-5 2025
Nitrate-Nitrite
480000 µg/L 4800%
of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 10000 µg/L
 15/31 SYR4 2012–2019
Chromium
18 µg/L 18%
of the EPA limit 100 µg/L
 12/44 SYR4 2012–2019
Arsenic
6.5 µg/L 65%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
 5/44 SYR4 2012–2019
Selenium
5.6 µg/L 11%
of the EPA limit 50 µg/L
 2/44 SYR4 2012–2019
Monobromoacetic Acid
1 µg/L
No EPA limit set
 1/232 SYR4 2012–2019
78 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-GammaBariumBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCopperCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEthylbenzeneGlyphosateHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoLeadMercuryMethoxychlorMonochloroacetic AcidNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
KAYSER, BEAU
Phone
831-768-3193
Email
beau.kayser@watsonville.gov

Frequently asked questions about Watsonville, City of

Is Watsonville, City of tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 24 contaminants in Watsonville, City of'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 Watsonville, City of's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, TTHM, Dibromochloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Watsonville, City of serve?

Watsonville, City of reports serving 65,231 people in California, per its EPA record.

Has Watsonville, City of had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 1 violation on file for Watsonville, City of, of which 0 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.