Public water system · CA4200830
ActiveZaca Lake Retreat
At a glance
Zaca Lake Retreat (PWSID CA4200830) is an active transient non-community water system in Santa Barbara County, California. It reports serving 100 people through 4 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
100
Service connections
4
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Zaca Lake Retreat compare with other water systems in Santa Barbara County?
By EPA's size categories, Zaca Lake Retreat 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 transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Zaca Lake Retreat is about 31% below 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. 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 Zaca Lake Retreat?
EPA lists Zaca Lake Retreat 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 Zaca Lake Retreat have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. The violations listed here began between December 1998 and January 2025. By type: 9 contaminant level above the legal limit and 3 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (9 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as archived. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-03-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-09-01 | 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 |
| 2004-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1999-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
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.
Zaca Lake Retreat: frequently asked questions
Who runs Zaca Lake Retreat?
Zaca Lake Retreat (PWSID CA4200830) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the CA state drinking water program.
How many people does Zaca Lake Retreat serve?
Zaca Lake Retreat reports serving 100 people through 4 service connections in Santa Barbara County, California.
Where does Zaca Lake Retreat 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 Zaca Lake Retreat have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 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 Zaca Lake Retreat'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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the CA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Zaca Lake Retreat's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Zaca Lake Retreat 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, “Zaca Lake Retreat, PWSID CA4200830, California”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/california/zaca-lake-retreat-ca4200830 (data as of October 1, 2026).