Water Quality: Watsonville, CA
15 water systems • 68,078 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Watsonville is served by 15 public water systems with a combined service population of 68,078 people, and has 113 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 23 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Watsonville's violation count is 135% above the national average for California. Contaminants associated with violations include Contaminant 1032, Contaminant 2414, Gross Alpha, Selenium, Stage 2 DBP.
Contaminants Found
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Hair loss, nail brittleness, and nervous system damage at elevated concentrations.
Common source: Natural geological deposits, mining discharges, oil refinery waste
EPA limit: 0.05 mg/L (50 ppb)
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that increase cancer risk and may cause adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Chlorine disinfection reacting with natural organic matter in source water
EPA limit: TTHM: 0.080 mg/L; HAA5: 0.060 mg/L
Total trihalomethanes are linked to increased risk of bladder cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Reaction of chlorine disinfectants with naturally occurring organic matter in water
EPA limit: 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb)
Water Systems Serving Watsonville
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATSONVILLE, CITY OF | CA4410011 | Surface Water | 65,231 | 0 |
| MONTE VISTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | CA4400754 | Groundwater | 1,051 | 3 |
| CEDAR LODGE RESORT | CA2210900 | Groundwater | 656 | 4 |
| RANCHO SAN ANDREAS | CA4400660 | Groundwater | 200 | 1 |
| SUNSET BEACH MUTUAL WATER CO | CA4400599 | Surface Water | 182 | 3 |
| MOUNT MADONNA CENTER | CA4400764 | Groundwater | 170 | 3 |
| JARDINES DEL VALLE | CA4400664 | Groundwater | 130 | 2 |
| CRESTWOOD HEIGHTS WATER ASSN | CA4400605 | Groundwater | 126 | 0 |
| MURPHY HILL WS #01 | CA2700662 | Groundwater | 65 | 2 |
| ELKHORN RD WS #04 | CA2700579 | Groundwater | 60 | 9 |
| APTOS RIDGE MUTUAL WATER CO | CA4400684 | Groundwater | 52 | 3 |
| BAUMANN RD WS #01 | CA2700842 | Groundwater | 48 | 0 |
| LAKEVIEW APARTMENTS | CA4400517 | Groundwater | 43 | 4 |
| TUT BROTHERS FARM #96 | CA1500516 | Groundwater | 32 | 71 |
| APTOS HILLS MUTUAL WATER CO | CA4400634 | Groundwater | 32 | 8 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in California
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.