What this means: San Diego's lead result was below the lab's reporting limit, so it is not plotted. A tap test shows what reaches your glass.
The city report tells you about the water system. A tap test tells you about your household.
How to test your tap| Test | Lead | Other contaminants | Result | Useful for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETR Labs Basic Water Quality Test Kit | ✓ | 50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria | Lab number | A number you can act on |
| Safe Home DIY Lead in Drinking Water Combo Test Kit | ✓ | None listed | Screening, not lab-grade | A quick first check |
Lab-certified results
ETR Laboratories
50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria
What it can't tell you: It does not test PFAS, and not every result on the panel falls under the lab's accredited scope.
Screening: quick check, not lab-grade
Safe Home (EnviroTestKits)
Lead, read as one of three ranges: 0–4, 5–15 or 15+ ppb
What it can't tell you: It shows a lead range, not an exact level, and tests nothing else unless you pay extra for the optional lab test.
Why: designed to reduce lead at the drinking-water tap, after the water has passed through the service line and building plumbing.
Lead isn't a concern in San Diego’s record, so no product is matched here. Open one to see what its certification covers.
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. A product appears here only when a current certification record covers at least one identified concern; every concern stays listed. The retail offer is looked up afterwards and never changes which products appear or their order. Affiliate disclosure.
A reported city-wide lead concentration is not a measurement of the water coming from every household tap. Lead can enter water through service lines, faucets, fixtures and plumbing materials.
| Contaminant | Result | Limit | Status | Sampled | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (90th percentile) | Non-Detect (ND) | 15 µg/L federal action level | Not detected above the reporting limit | 2024–2026 monitoring period (still open) | Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: SAN DIEGO, CITY OF (CA3710020) (opens in a new tab) |
Lead was not detected in SAN DIEGO, CITY OF's most recent lead sampling (2024–2026): the 90th-percentile result was below the lab's reporting limit. It comes from sampled homes; your own pipes decide what reaches your tap.
In EPA's service line inventory (2026Q2), SAN DIEGO, CITY OF reported 0 lead service lines, 0 galvanized lines requiring replacement and 0 of unknown material, out of 286,200 lines in total.
Yes. Lead usually enters water from service lines, solder and fixtures between the main and your tap, so one home can measure higher than the citywide figure. Only a test of your own tap shows it.
Ask SAN DIEGO, CITY OF whether your address appears in its service line inventory, which utilities must publish. You can also look where the water pipe enters your home: lead pipe is dull grey, soft, and shows shiny metal when scratched gently.
Use a state-certified lab for an exact number, or a screening kit for a quick range. For lead, take a first-draw sample: water that has sat in the pipes for at least six hours.
One whose current certification names lead for the exact model: NSF/ANSI 53 (carbon) or NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis). Until then, run the cold tap for a few minutes after water has sat for hours, and use only cold water for drinking and cooking.
NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 with lead listed for the exact model, checked in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO).
If your home has one, replacing it removes the main source of lead. Ask SAN DIEGO, CITY OF first; many utilities replace these lines for free or share the cost.