Public water system · CA4110024
ActiveCity of East Palo Alto
At a glance
City of East Palo Alto (PWSID CA4110024) is an active community water system in San Mateo County, California. It reports serving 29,519 people through 3,906 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2015.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
29,519
Service connections
3,906
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of East Palo Alto compare with other water systems in San Mateo County?
By EPA's size categories, City of East Palo Alto is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). San Mateo County has 51 active public water systems. Its population served is about twice the county average of 15,363 people per system, and accounts for 3.8% of the 783,522 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 City of East Palo Alto is about 4.4 times 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 City of East Palo Alto?
EPA lists City of East Palo Alto 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. 19 of the 51 active systems in San Mateo County (37%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of East Palo Alto have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2015. The violations listed here began between November 1988 and March 2015. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (8 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-03-01 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) · code 41 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-06-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1999-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-09-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, State · code 05 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-06-30 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1988-11-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | Not reported | No | Archived |
The 12 most recent 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.
City of East Palo Alto: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of East Palo Alto?
City of East Palo Alto (PWSID CA4110024) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does City of East Palo Alto serve?
City of East Palo Alto reports serving 29,519 people through 3,906 service connections in San Mateo County, California.
Where does City of East Palo Alto 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 City of East Palo Alto have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2015. 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 City of East Palo Alto'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2015. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of East Palo Alto's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of East Palo Alto 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 San Mateo County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Daly City | San Mateo | 104,901 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| California Water Service - San Mateo | San Mateo | 102,348 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Redwood City | San Mateo | 92,819 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| California Water Service-S San Francisco | San Mateo | 64,146 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| California Water Service - Bear Gulch | San Mateo | 61,431 | Community | Surface water |
| City of San Bruno | San Mateo | 42,631 | 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, “City of East Palo Alto, PWSID CA4110024, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/city-of-east-palo-alto-ca4110024 (data as of October 1, 2026).