Public water system · CA3710015
ActivePoway, City of
At a glance
City of Poway (PWSID CA3710015) is an active community water system in San Diego County, California. It reports serving 49,888 people through 14,202 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in June 1993.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
49,888
Service connections
14,202
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Poway compare with other water systems in San Diego County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Poway is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). San Diego County has 191 active public water systems. Its population served is about 157% above the county average of 19,427 people per system, and accounts for 1.3% 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 City of Poway is about 7.4 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. 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 Poway?
EPA lists City of Poway 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 City of Poway have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in June 1993. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved is Lead and Copper Rule. EPA lists 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-06-30 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
The one violation in EPA's records.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 Poway: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Poway?
City of Poway (PWSID CA3710015) 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 Poway serve?
City of Poway reports serving 49,888 people through 14,202 service connections in San Diego County, California.
Where does City of Poway 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 Poway have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in June 1993. 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 Poway'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 one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in June 1993. 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 Poway's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Poway 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, “Poway, City of, PWSID CA3710015, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/poway-city-of-ca3710015 (data as of October 1, 2026).