Public water system · CA3710009
ActiveDescanso Community Water District
At a glance
Descanso Community Water District (PWSID CA3710009) is an active community water system in San Diego County, California. It reports serving 870 people through 315 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
870
Service connections
315
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Descanso Community Water District compare with other water systems in San Diego County?
By EPA's size categories, Descanso Community Water District is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). San Diego County has 191 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 19,427 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 3,710,459 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 Descanso Community Water District is well below 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 6,179 California systems (83%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Descanso Community Water District?
EPA lists Descanso Community 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. 58 of the 191 active systems in San Diego County (30%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Descanso Community Water District have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2023 and October 2025. By type: 11 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Combined Uranium (12 of them). EPA lists 12 as archived. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | No | Archived |
| 2025-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2023-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2023-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Archived |
| 2023-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | 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.
Descanso Community Water District: frequently asked questions
Who runs Descanso Community Water District?
Descanso Community Water District (PWSID CA3710009) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Descanso Community Water District serve?
Descanso Community Water District reports serving 870 people through 315 service connections in San Diego County, California.
Where does Descanso Community Water District get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Descanso Community Water District have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. 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 Descanso Community 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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Descanso Community Water District's water quality report?
As a community water system, Descanso Community 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 San Diego County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, City of | San Diego | 1,385,379 | Community | Surface water |
| Helix Water District | San Diego | 277,668 | Community | Surface water |
| Otay Water District | San Diego | 238,008 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Sweetwater Authority | San Diego | 191,282 | Community | Surface water |
| Oceanside, City of | San Diego | 171,483 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Escondido, City of | San Diego | 137,044 | Community | 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, “Descanso Community Water District, PWSID CA3710009, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/descanso-community-water-district-ca3710009 (data as of October 1, 2026).