All Data Provided by EWG
San Francisco City Water System
EWG’s drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2021 – March 2021), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility Details
San Francisco, California
Serves: 800,000
Data available: 2013-2019*
Source: Purchased surface water
*2013 testing is for chemicals in EPA’s Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR-3) only.
Contaminants Detected
![circle-icon circle icon](https://aaawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/circle-icon.png)
5 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
13 Total Contaminants
- Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
- Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
- The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
What To Do
Looking for a countertop water filter?
Find out which filters earned EWG’s recommendation
REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE
Download EWG’s Guide to Safe Drinking Water:
Get the Guide
By downloading the guide, you’ll also be subscribed to receive email updates – including the latest news, tips, action alerts, promotions and more – from EWG.
Contaminants Detected
![circle-icon circle icon](https://aaawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/circle-icon.png)
Carbon tetrachloride
Potential Effect: cancer
7.3x
EWG’S HEALTH GUIDELINE
Chromium (hexavalent)
Potential Effect: cancer
4.5x
EWG’S HEALTH GUIDELINE
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)†
Potential Effect: cancer
319x
EWG’S HEALTH GUIDELINE
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)†
Potential Effect: cancer
658x
EWG’S HEALTH GUIDELINE
Other Contaminants Tested
San Francisco City Water System compliance with legally mandated federal standards:
- From April 2019 to March 2021, San Francisco City Water System complied with health-based drinking water standards.
Information in this section on San Francisco City Water System comes from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online database (ECHO).
Contaminant | Activated Carbon | Reverse Osmosis | Ion Exchange |
CONTAMINANTS ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | |||
Bromodichloromethane | ✔ | ✔ | |
Bromoform | ✔ | ✔ | |
Dibromoacetic acid | ✔ | ✔ | |
Dibromochloromethane | ✔ | ✔ | |
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | ✔ | ✔ | |
OTHER CONTAMINANTS DETECTED | |||
Barium | ✔ | ✔ | |
Chromium (total) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Fluoride | ✔ | ||
Monobromoacetic acid | ✔ | ✔ | |
Monochloroacetic acid | ✔ | ✔ | |
MTBE | ✔ | ✔ |
Take Action
![circle-icon circle icon](https://aaawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/circle-icon.png)
Contact Your Local Official
One of the best ways to push for cleaner water is to hold accountable the elected officials who have a say in water quality – from city hall and the state legislature to Congress all the way to the Oval Office – by asking questions and demanding answers.
Filter Out Contaminants
Check out our recommendations for filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.
Get the Guide
Watch a Video
EWG Drinking Water Standards
Have a Question?
Call AAA Water Systems today to get started getting better water.
EWG’S GUIDE TO SAFE DRINKING WATER
![circle-icon circle icon](https://aaawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/circle-icon.png)
Reduce your exposures to common drinking water pollutants with EWG’s handy tipsheet
By downloading the guide, you’ll also be subscribed to receive email updates – including the latest news, tips, action alerts, promotions and more – from EWG.