Is San Jose Tap Water Safe? What San Jose Water Company’s EPA Records Show
San Jose Water Company, which serves about 1,039,920 people in California, reported PFOS above the EPA limit in the EPA’s UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023-2025). That is the system’s own reported occurrence — “reported above the limit,” not “in violation”; enforcement of the PFAS limits phases in through 2029-2031. Its most recent EPA-record lead 90th-percentile was non-detect (below the reporting limit) — under the current 15 ppb action level. The system has 10 health-based violations on its federal SDWA record.
See the full interactive report for this system — every PFAS analyte, lead and copper rounds, violations, and the filter that handles what was found: open the San Jose report → Or check YOUR exact ZIP: check your water by ZIP →
Common questions about San Jose water
Is San Jose's tap water safe to drink?
The records show PFOS above a current EPA limit or action level — the details, with dates, are in the sections above. That is a system-level occurrence record, not a verdict on any individual tap. These are system-level records for public water systems, not a reading of any individual home’s tap, and they do not cover private wells. Confirm your own utility’s current Consumer Confidence Report, and test your tap if you’re unsure.
Does San Jose have PFAS in its drinking water?
San Jose Water Company reported PFOS above the EPA’s limit in UCMR5 monitoring — an occurrence flag, not a compliance finding (enforcement 2029-2031).
Who supplies San Jose's drinking water?
San Jose Water Company (PWSID CA4310011) serves about 1,039,920 people, per EPA SDWIS records. A metro area is usually served by more than one water system — this page covers the area’s largest. Suburbs and neighboring towns often have their own systems with their own results; check your exact ZIP for yours.
How do I check my exact address?
Water systems report by system, not by address. Enter your ZIP on the water checker to see the system(s) serving it and what each reported.
Statewide, 18.7% of California’s UCMR5-tested systems reported PFOA or PFOS over the EPA limit — see the California water page.
Other large systems in California
Los Angeles Oakland San Diego San Francisco western Riverside County (Moreno Valley, Hemet, Perris), California
See the 100 largest US water systems, water quality by state, and the national PFAS data study.
Sources: EPA UCMR5 occurrence data, Feb 2026 release (~95% complete; final reporting 2026) (2026-06); lead/copper + violations: EPA SDWIS via ECHO; population served: EPA SDWIS via ECHO (system-reported population served). PWSID CA4310011. Public-domain federal/state records; assembly by WaterByTheBook. Built 2026-07-25. Plain-markdown mirror: https://waterbythebook.com/md/san-jose.md