Public water system · CA4210010
ActiveCity of Santa Barbara Water Department
At a glance
City of Santa Barbara Water Department (PWSID CA4210010) is an active community water system in Santa Barbara County, California. It reports serving 99,323 people through 27,504 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2011.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
99,323
Service connections
27,504
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Santa Barbara Water Department compare with other water systems in Santa Barbara County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Santa Barbara Water Department is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Santa Barbara County has 150 active public water systems, and City of Santa Barbara Water Department is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 31 times the county average of 3,255 people per system, and accounts for 20% 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 City of Santa Barbara Water Department is about 15 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 609 California systems (8.1%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Santa Barbara Water Department?
EPA lists City of Santa Barbara Water Department 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 City of Santa Barbara Water Department have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2011. The violations listed here began between July 1996 and February 2011. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminants or rules involved are Surface Water Treatment Rule and Total coliform bacteria (TCR). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 2 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 Barbara Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Santa Barbara Water Department?
City of Santa Barbara Water Department (PWSID CA4210010) 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 Barbara Water Department serve?
City of Santa Barbara Water Department reports serving 99,323 people through 27,504 service connections in Santa Barbara County, California.
Where does City of Santa Barbara Water Department get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Santa Barbara Water Department have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2011. 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 Barbara Water Department'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 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2011. 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 Barbara Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Santa Barbara Water Department 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 |
| 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 |
| Carpinteria Valley Water District | Santa Barbara | 15,996 | 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, “City of Santa Barbara Water Department, PWSID CA4210010, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/city-of-santa-barbara-water-department-ca4210010 (data as of October 1, 2026).