Is Watsonville, CA tap water safe?
The short answer
6 of the 15 utilities serving Watsonville have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and California’s records: Monte Vista Christian School, Strawberry Rd WS #06, Aptos Hills Mutual Water Co and 3 more.
City of Watsonville, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 3 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOA at 6.5 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from City of Watsonville is very hard, typically 230 mg/L (13.5 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 Watsonville’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Watsonville
California · serves 65,231 people · about 8,200 in Watsonville
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029, 3 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: PFOA at 6.5 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: very hard, typically 230 mg/L (13.5 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Psmcsd - Pajaro
California · serves 3,500 people · about 220 in Watsonville
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.2 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 277 mg/L (16.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Cwsc Las Lomas
California · serves 2,132 people · about 140 in Watsonville
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 3.0 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 257 mg/L (15 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Soquel Creek Water District
California · serves 40,962 people · under 100 in Watsonville
2 results above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 89.8 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. Hardness: moderately hard to very hard depending on the source, 86 to 395 mg/L (5 to 23.1 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Monte Vista Christian School
California · serves 25 people · nearly all in Watsonville
1 result above the action level and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Copper at 1.7 ppm, above the action level. Hardness: hard to very hard depending on the source, 180 to 192 mg/L (10.5 to 11.2 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Strawberry Rd WS #06
California · serves 78 people · under 100 in Watsonville
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 0.85 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: moderately hard, 83 mg/L (4.9 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Rancho San Andreas
California · serves 200 people · under 100 in Watsonville
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 5.2 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, 330 mg/L (19.3 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Mount Madonna Center
California · serves 50 people · under 100 in Watsonville
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.5 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: very hard, typically 320 mg/L (18.7 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Aptos Hills Mutual Water Co
California · serves 32 people · under 100 in Watsonville
1 result above the legal limit. The worst: Nitrate at 10.9 ppm, above the legal limit. Hardness: moderately hard, typically 93 mg/L (5.4 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Sunset Beach Mutual Water Co
California · serves 182 people · under 100 in Watsonville
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Nitrate at 12.4 ppm, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
5 more utilities in Watsonville
By EPA’s estimate, each serves fewer people in Watsonville than those above.
- Jardines del Valleserves 130 people · under 100 in Watsonville · 1 health-based violation since 2016
- Crestwood Heights Water Assnserves 126 people · under 100 in Watsonville · no health-based violations since 2016
- Elkhorn Rd WS #04serves 60 people · under 100 in Watsonville · 1 health-based violation since 2016
- Aptos Ridge Mutual Water Coserves 52 people · under 100 in Watsonville · no health-based violations since 2016
- Lakeview Apartmentsserves 43 people · under 100 in Watsonville · 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 Watsonville’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: PFOA, PFOS, Lead, 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: PFOA, PFOS, Lead, 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: PFOA, PFOS, Lead, Arsenic
Water testing near Watsonville
The 3 labs California certifies closest to Watsonville, 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 13 miles
Certified for bacteria
Santa Cruz County - Health Services Agency - Environmental Health
Santa Cruz, CA · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria
Bracewell Engineering, Inc.
Morgan Hill, CA · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in Watsonville: 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 Watsonville
Other towns in Santa Cruz County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Watsonville’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOARanked 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