Public water system · CA4200703
ActiveEl Capitan Mutual Water Company
At a glance
El Capitan Mutual Water Company (PWSID CA4200703) is an active community water system in Santa Barbara County, California. It reports serving 325 people through 29 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
325
Service connections
29
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does El Capitan Mutual Water Company compare with other water systems in Santa Barbara County?
By EPA's size categories, El Capitan Mutual Water Company is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Santa Barbara County has 150 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 3,255 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% 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 El Capitan Mutual Water Company 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 El Capitan Mutual Water Company?
EPA lists El Capitan Mutual Water Company as privately owned. 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. 121 of the 150 active systems in Santa Barbara County (81%) are also privately owned.
Does El Capitan Mutual Water Company have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between December 1996 and October 2024. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (8 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 2 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2013-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 10 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.
El Capitan Mutual Water Company: frequently asked questions
Who runs El Capitan Mutual Water Company?
El Capitan Mutual Water Company (PWSID CA4200703) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does El Capitan Mutual Water Company serve?
El Capitan Mutual Water Company reports serving 325 people through 29 service connections in Santa Barbara County, California.
Where does El Capitan Mutual Water Company 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 El Capitan Mutual Water Company have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. 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 El Capitan Mutual Water Company'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 10 violations for this system; 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find El Capitan Mutual Water Company's water quality report?
As a community water system, El Capitan Mutual Water Company 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 |
| Carpinteria Valley Water District | Santa Barbara | 15,996 | 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, “El Capitan Mutual Water Company, PWSID CA4200703, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/el-capitan-mutual-water-company-ca4200703 (data as of October 1, 2026).