Public water system · CA3010038
ActiveCity of Santa Ana
At a glance
City of Santa Ana (PWSID CA3010038) is an active community water system in Orange County, California. It reports serving 310,539 people through 45,743 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
310,539
Service connections
45,743
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Santa Ana compare with other water systems in Orange County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Santa Ana is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Orange County has 46 active public water systems, and City of Santa Ana is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.5 times the county average of 69,606 people per system, and accounts for 9.7% of the 3,201,893 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 Santa Ana is about 46 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 Santa Ana?
EPA lists City of Santa Ana 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. 34 of the 46 active systems in Orange County (74%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Santa Ana have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. The violations listed here began between January 1993 and October 2021. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-10-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherSample Siting Plan Errors (RTCR) · code 5A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Unfilt/GWR) · code 31 | Groundwater Rulecode 0700 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 7 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 Santa Ana: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Santa Ana?
City of Santa Ana (PWSID CA3010038) 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 Santa Ana serve?
City of Santa Ana reports serving 310,539 people through 45,743 service connections in Orange County, California.
Where does City of Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. 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 Santa Ana'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 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. 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 Santa Ana's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Santa Ana 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 Orange County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine Ranch Water District | Orange | 444,800 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Anaheim | Orange | 348,593 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Huntington Beach | Orange | 201,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Garden Grove | Orange | 174,226 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Moulton Niguel Water District | Orange | 170,236 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Santa Margarita Water District | Orange | 168,289 | 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 Santa Ana, PWSID CA3010038, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/city-of-santa-ana-ca3010038 (data as of October 1, 2026).