Public water system · CA4210001
ActiveCarpinteria Valley Water District
At a glance
Carpinteria Valley Water District (PWSID CA4210001) is an active community water system in Santa Barbara County, California. It reports serving 15,996 people through 4,431 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2013.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
15,996
Service connections
4,431
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Carpinteria Valley Water District compare with other water systems in Santa Barbara County?
By EPA's size categories, Carpinteria Valley Water District is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Santa Barbara County has 150 active public water systems, and Carpinteria Valley Water District is the 6th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.9 times the county average of 3,255 people per system, and accounts for 3.3% of the 488,317 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across California, the 7,479 active systems average 5,706 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Carpinteria Valley Water District is about 139% above that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. California has 2,997 active community water systems, 40% of the state's 7,479 active systems. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 506 California systems (6.8%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Carpinteria Valley Water District?
EPA lists Carpinteria Valley Water District as owned by a local government. The CA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 24 of the 150 active systems in Santa Barbara County (16%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Carpinteria Valley Water District have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2013. The violations listed here began between May 1996 and July 2013. By type: 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (4 of them). EPA lists 5 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 5 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Carpinteria Valley Water District: frequently asked questions
Who runs Carpinteria Valley Water District?
Carpinteria Valley Water District (PWSID CA4210001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Carpinteria Valley Water District serve?
Carpinteria Valley Water District reports serving 15,996 people through 4,431 service connections in Santa Barbara County, California.
Where does Carpinteria Valley Water District get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Carpinteria Valley Water District have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2013. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Carpinteria Valley Water District's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2013. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Carpinteria Valley Water District's water quality report?
As a community water system, Carpinteria Valley Water District must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Santa Barbara County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Santa Maria Utilities Department | Santa Barbara | 109,477 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Santa Barbara Water Department | Santa Barbara | 99,323 | Community | Surface water |
| Goleta Water District | Santa Barbara | 84,462 | Community | Surface water |
| Lompoc-City Water Utility Div | Santa Barbara | 40,473 | Community | Surface water |
| Golden State Water Company - Orcutt | Santa Barbara | 34,102 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| American Water O&M, LLC - Vsfb | Santa Barbara | 14,971 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Carpinteria Valley Water District, PWSID CA4210001, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/carpinteria-valley-water-district-ca4210001 (data as of October 1, 2026).