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City water profile

Santa Barbara water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for Santa Barbara, California.

Median indexed hardness

524PPM

4 indexed ZIPs

Range 499.5–534 PPM

State comparison
335 PPM above
State hardness rank
#2 of 242
Matched utilities
1
Active health records
0

City summary

What the indexed records say

Santa Barbara has 4 published ZIP profiles across Santa Barbara County. The indexed median is 524 PPM, compared with 189 PPM across California.

Among the 242 Californiacities with an indexed median, Santa Barbara ranks #2from highest to lowest. Across all 678 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 3.3to 728.5 PPM.

The 499.5–534 PPM range shows how much the available ZIP estimates vary within the city label.

Hardness distribution

How local ZIP estimates compare

Soft0 ZIPs
Moderately hard0 ZIPs
Hard0 ZIPs
Very hard4 ZIPs

4 of 4 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance
12.4 miles
Profiles with evidence
4/4

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 4Low: 0

Observation window: Apr 5, 2016 to Apr 23, 2021.

ZIP directory

Water reports in Santa Barbara

Open a ZIP for site-level provenance and measurements.

ZIP code

93101

Very Hard

523.5 PPM

Nearest site
12.4 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

ZIP code

93103

Very Hard

534 PPM

Nearest site
12.9 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

ZIP code

93105

Very Hard

499.5 PPM

Nearest site
5.6 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

ZIP code

93109

Very Hard

523.5 PPM

Nearest site
12.3 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

Public water systems

Utilities associated with this city

City Of Santa Barbara Water Department

PWSID CA4210010

Surface water
System population served
99,323
Last reported
Jun 22, 2026

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

Compliance history

What EPA records show

No active health-based violation appears among the associated systems in the represented EPA reporting quarter. This does not mean every contaminant was tested at every tap.

No violation records are included in the current lookback window.

Practical next steps

Move from index to evidence

  1. 1. Open your ZIP. Check distance, dates, confidence, and the associated utility.
  2. 2. Read the current CCR. Confirm source water, detections, limits, ranges, and notices.
  3. 3. Test the tap when needed. Confirm health concerns or treatment sizing with the right method.

Questions people ask

About water in Santa Barbara

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 524 PPM. Open the ZIP report to verify the distance and confidence behind that estimate.

Is the tap water safe?

Compliance history is utility-wide and cannot guarantee conditions at every tap. Check current notices and test when address-specific evidence is needed.

Do I need treatment?

Choose treatment only after confirming the problem at the property. A softener targets hardness; contaminant treatment requires a matching, verified performance claim.