States › California › Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County, CA Water Quality

Water quality data for 18 public water systems serving Santa Barbara County, California — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 18 water systems · 26 cities
✅
Excellent — All Systems Performing Well

Water quality across the county is outstanding with minimal violations and very low lead levels.

A

Santa Barbara County Earns a A

Santa Barbara County: 26 communities across 18 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 2.22 ppb
  • 1 communities with a lead detection, 25 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 0 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
2.22 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
18
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • Santa Maria
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Santa Barbara
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Lompoc
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Orcutt
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Goleta
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Vandenberg AFB
    Not detected
    4 health-based violations since 2015
    B
  • Buellton
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Mission Hills
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Solvang
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Los Alamos
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    B
County Lead Level — Median 2.22 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 2.22 ppb — 14.8% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
1
No Data
25

All Cities in Santa Barbara County

Santa Maria Not detected A
Santa Barbara Not detected A
Lompoc Not detected A
Orcutt Not detected A
Goleta Not detected A
Eastern Goleta Valley Not detected A
Isla Vista Not detected A
Carpinteria Not detected A
University of California-Santa Barbara Not detected A
Montecito Not detected A
Guadalupe Not detected B
Vandenberg Village Not detected A
Buellton Not detected A
Santa Ynez Not detected A
Mission Hills Not detected A
Vandenberg AFB Not detected B
Solvang Not detected A
Mission Canyon Not detected A
Los Alamos Not detected B
Summerland Not detected A
Los Olivos Not detected A
Toro Canyon Not detected A
Ballard Not detected A
New Cuyama 2.22 ppb B
Sisquoc Not detected B
Casmalia Not detected B
Showing 26 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Santa Barbara County Drinking Water

Santa Barbara County is served by 18 water systems covering 26 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 1 recorded a detection, with a median of 2.22 ppb — 15% of the federal action level. 25 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded no significant deficiencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Santa Barbara County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in Santa Barbara County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in Santa Barbara County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 2.22 ppb, 15% of the 15 ppb action level. 25 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Santa Barbara County?▼
18 community water systems serve 26 communities here.
← Back to California water quality overview