Is San Francisco tap water safe to drink?

Yes with good quality

San Francisco's tap water meets all EPA standards and scores well on our analysis. It is generally safe to drink though filtration can improve taste and provide extra precaution.

85/100
Purity Score
1
Issues Found
2.2 GPG
Hardness
Not detected
PFAS

1 Issue Detected in San Francisco

Arsenic Approaching Limit (0.1 mg/L)

EPA limit is 0.010 mg/L.

Arsenic info for San Francisco
California

941,029,410,394,104 · Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Tuolumne River

San Francisco, CA Water Quality Report

Low Risk Updated March 2026 875,000 residents
See Best Filters for San Francisco
85
Purity Score

Contaminant Levels

PFAS
ND
Lead
2 ppb
Nitrate
0.2 mg/L
Arsenic
0.1 mg/L
Hardness
2.2 gpg

Health Insights

  • 1
    San Francisco's water meets current EPA standards. Filtration can improve taste and provide extra safety.

Score

85 /100
Excellent
"Good" threshold (70)

San Francisco tap water is sourced from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Tuolumne River and treated by SF Public Utilities Commission. Overall purity score: 85/100 (Excellent). Updated for 2026.

Fix Your Water

Best filters matched to San Francisco's 1 issue.

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Explore San Francisco Water Data

PFAS in San FranciscoForever chemicals
Lead in San FranciscoLead risk
San Francisco Hard WaterHardness data
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San Francisco Water FAQ

Is San Francisco CA tap water safe to drink in 2026?
San Francisco tap water meets EPA federal drinking water standards and scores 85/100 (Excellent) on PurityMap for 2026. For most healthy adults the water is considered safe but point-of-use filtration adds an important layer of protection.
Does San Francisco CA use chlorine or chloramine for disinfection?
San Francisco uses chloramine as the primary disinfectant with a residual level of 0.6 ppm. Chloramine is harder to remove than free chlorine and requires a catalytic carbon or reverse osmosis filter. Standard Brita-style pitchers will NOT remove chloramine.
How hard is San Francisco CA water and what is the TDS level?
San Francisco water hardness is 2.2 grains per gallon (soft) with a TDS of 55 ppm (good). This level is unlikely to cause significant scale buildup in household plumbing.
Has PFAS been found in San Francisco CA drinking water?
Based on available EPA UCMR5 monitoring data as of 2026 PFAS have not been detected above EPA advisory levels in San Francisco drinking water.

Nearby Reports

BakersfieldCalifornia — 55/100RiversideCalifornia — 58/100San BernardinoCalifornia — 58/100Moreno ValleyCalifornia — 58/100FontanaCalifornia — 58/100Chula VistaCalifornia — 61/100

All California cities

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Data Sources

  • EPA SDWIS
  • EWG Tap Water Database
  • SF Public Utilities Commission CCR
  • USGS monitoring data

PurityMap compiles public data. Updated March 2026.

© 2026 PurityMap. For informational purposes only.

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