Public water system · CA4210303
ActiveRefugio State Beach
At a glance
Refugio State Beach (PWSID CA4210303) is an active transient non-community water system in Santa Barbara County, California. It reports serving 855 people through 10 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a state government. EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 2020.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
855
Service connections
10
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Refugio State Beach compare with other water systems in Santa Barbara County?
By EPA's size categories, Refugio State Beach is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). 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 0.2% 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 transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Refugio State Beach is about 5.9 times that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. California has 3,016 active transient non-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 Refugio State Beach?
EPA lists Refugio State Beach as owned by a state 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. 4 of the 150 active systems in Santa Barbara County (2.7%) are also owned by a state government.
Does Refugio State Beach have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list one violation for this system; it is not health-based, and the most recent began in October 2020. By type: 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved is Revised Total Coliform 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-10-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | 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.
Refugio State Beach: frequently asked questions
Who runs Refugio State Beach?
Refugio State Beach (PWSID CA4210303) is a transient non-community water system owned by a state government. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Refugio State Beach serve?
Refugio State Beach reports serving 855 people through 10 service connections in Santa Barbara County, California.
Where does Refugio State Beach 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 Refugio State Beach 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 October 2020. 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 Refugio State Beach'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 October 2020. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Refugio State Beach's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Refugio State Beach is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
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, “Refugio State Beach, PWSID CA4210303, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/refugio-state-beach-ca4210303 (data as of October 1, 2026).