Is Saratoga, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 4 utilities serving Saratoga have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: San Jose Water and MT. Eden Mutual Water Company.
San Jose Water, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 6.2 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from San Jose Water is moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 112 to 512 mg/L (6.5 to 29.9 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 Saratoga’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
San Jose Water
California · serves 1 million people · about 7,100 in Saratoga
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 6.2 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 112 to 512 mg/L (6.5 to 29.9 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Saratoga Heights Mutual Water Company
California · serves 258 people · under 100 in Saratoga
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.7 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 109 mg/L (6.4 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
MT. Eden Mutual Water Company
California · serves 165 people · under 100 in Saratoga
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Camp Saratoga
California · serves 450 people · under 100 in Saratoga
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: very hard, 200 mg/L (11.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in San Jose Water’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: PFOS, Arsenic
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: PFOS, Arsenic
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, Arsenic
Water testing near Saratoga
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Saratoga, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Torrent Laboratory, Inc
Milpitas, CA · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS
AEMTEK, Inc
Fremont, CA · about 17 miles
Certified for bacteria, minerals and other inorganics
Santa Cruz County - Health Services Agency - Environmental Health
Santa Cruz, CA · about 19 miles
Certified for bacteria
ZIP codes in Saratoga
Which ZIP codes are in Saratoga: 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 Saratoga
Other towns in Santa Clara County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read San Jose Water’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water