Is University of California-Davis, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving University of California-Davis has 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 Davis, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 37.3 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from City of Davis is moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 61 to 625 mg/L (3.6 to 36.5 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 University of California-Davis’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Davis
California · serves 67,826 people · about 2,400 in University of California-Davis
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 37.3 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 61 to 625 mg/L (3.6 to 36.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Uc - Davis
California · serves 13,177 people · about 500 in University of California-Davis
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 30 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Hardness: moderately hard to hard depending on the source, 76 to 140 mg/L (4.4 to 8.2 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 City of Davis’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: 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: 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: Arsenic
Water testing near University of California-Davis
The 3 labs California certifies closest to University of California-Davis, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Eurofins Sacramento Service Center
West Sacramento, CA · about 13 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Eurofins Sacramento
West Sacramento, CA · about 13 miles
Certified for minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals, PFAS
Bend Genetics LLC
Sacramento, CA · about 21 miles
ZIP codes in University of California-Davis
Which ZIP codes are in University of California-Davis: 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 University of California-Davis
Other towns in Yolo County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Davis’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- About LithiumWhat it does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Lithium
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water