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Problems We Found In San Diego's Drinking Water

Problems We Found In San Diego's Drinking Water

Skyline of San Diego, CA with palm trees

Analies Dyjak | Policy Nerd
**Updated July 7, 2022 to include current data

The City of San Diego purchases most of its water from the San Diego County Water Authority, which is sourced from the Colorado River and the State Water Project. For Hydroviv’s assessment of drinking water issues in San Diego, we aggregated water quality test data from San Diego Public Utilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental Working Group, and the US Geological Survey. The custom water filters that we build for our customers in San Diego are optimized with this research in mind.

What are concerns in San Diego’s Drinking Water?

Contaminants of concern in San Diego’s drinking water include Arsenic, Chromium 6, Lead, PFAS, Disinfection Byproducts, Radium and Uranium.

Arsenic in San Diego's Drinking Water

Arsenic is a naturally occurring hazardous heavy metal that can cause cancer and other health problems. 2021 Arsenic levels were reported to be 2 ppb. While San Diego's Arsenic levels were not in violation of EPA water quality standards, consumers should know that the U.S. EPA's standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. We strongly suggest that tap water with levels higher than 1 part per billion be treated to remove arsenic, especially in homes with children.

Chromium 6 Levels In San Diego’s Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. According to testing conducted by the Environmental Working Group, San Diego Water was measured to have Chromium 6 levels as high as 0.36 parts per billion (360 parts per trillion), which are up to 18 times the level generally accepted as safe. The California EPA has acknowledged that ingesting Chromium 6 through drinking water can increase the risk of stomach cancer and reproductive issues.

Lead In San Diego’s Drinking Water

Lead is not problematic at the municipal level but may be present in your pipes if your home was built before 1986. EPA, CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recognize that there is no safe level of lead for children. In addition, Federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

PFAS in San Diego’s Drinking Water

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a category of emerging contaminants commonly used in firefighting foam, Teflon, non-stick surfaces, stain-resistant surfaces, and food packaging. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has determined that PFAS exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including an increased risk of cancer, lowered fertility rates, and developmental issues in infants and young children.

PFAS were detected at military bases near San Diego, including: Camp Pendleton, Coronado Warner Springs, and TwentyNine Palms in San Bernardino County. PFAS levels at these bases ranged from 35 ppt to 650 ppt. There is no current “allowable level” in drinking water, but health agencies believe that anything above 70 ppt is considered unsafe. Not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from tap water. If you'd like to find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State PFAS study. Hydroviv filters are NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified for PFOA/PFOS removal.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In San Diego’s Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. EPA regulates two categories of DBPs: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The EPA has stated that DBPs have been associated with increased risk of bladder cancer as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. In 2021, Haloacetic Acid levels in San Diego were as high as 19 parts per billion, compared to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 60 parts per billion, while Total Trihalomethane levels were as high as 75.6 parts per billion, compared to the EPA MCL of 80 parts per billion.

Radium and Uranium in San Diego’s Drinking Water

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal. Radium in drinking water is of primary concern because exposure through drinking water may cause cancer, kidney damage and birth defects. Radium levels in 2021 were reported to be 1 ppb with the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal 5 ppb. Maximum Uranium levels measured at 3 ppb in 2021, with the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal set at 30 ppb.

How Can Hydroviv Help Me?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for San Diego water, but all of our filters also include broad protection against a wide range of contaminants. Questions? Email hello@hydroviv.com.

Hydroviv's drinking water filters carry NSF certifications to Standard 42 (aesthetic effects--Chlorine Removal) and Standard 53 (health effects--Lead, VOCs, and PFOA/PFOS removal), and are independently tested to remove hundreds of contaminants.