Is San Martin, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
3 of the 8 utilities serving San Martin have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: City of Gilroy, Cal Am - West San Martin and Chiri Sweet Water Company.
City of Gilroy, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the legal limit, 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 12 ppm, above the legal limit.
The water from City of Gilroy is hard to very hard depending on the source, 180 to 287 mg/L (10.5 to 16.8 grains per gallon). How California’s water compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in San Martin’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Gilroy
California · serves 59,426 people · about 400 in San Martin
1 result above the legal limit, 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 12 ppm, above the legal limit. Hardness: hard to very hard depending on the source, 180 to 287 mg/L (10.5 to 16.8 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Cal Am - West San Martin
California · serves 1,079 people · about 340 in San Martin
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 243 mg/L (14.2 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
San Martin County Water District
California · serves 627 people · about 230 in San Martin
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: very hard, 220 mg/L (12.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
San Martin Foothills Water Company
California · serves 145 people · under 100 in San Martin
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 358 mg/L (20.9 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Mecchi Water Company
California · serves 104 people · under 100 in San Martin
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.7 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, 310 mg/L (18.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Rancho Robles Mutual Water Company
California · serves 103 people · under 100 in San Martin
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.1 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 367 mg/L (21.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
South County Retirement Home
California · serves 46 people · under 100 in San Martin
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: very hard, 230 mg/L (13.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Chiri Sweet Water Company
California · serves 40 people · based in San Martin
1 result above the legal limit and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 11 ppm, above the legal limit. Hardness: very hard, 250 mg/L (14.6 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Gilroy’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, PFOA, PFOS, Arsenic, Lead
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, PFOA, PFOS, Arsenic, Lead
Culligan 10-Cup Pitcher with ZeroWater Technology (ZEROP10)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Nitrate, PFOA, PFOS, Lead
Water testing near San Martin
The 3 labs California certifies closest to San Martin, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
CM Analytical, Inc.
Gilroy, CA · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria
Bracewell Engineering, Inc.
Morgan Hill, CA · about 6 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Santa Cruz County - Health Services Agency - Environmental Health
Santa Cruz, CA · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in San Martin: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: California State Water Resources Control Board, ELAP accredited laboratories and their fields of accreditation; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near San Martin
Other towns in Santa Clara County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Gilroy’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for NitrateRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water