Tap water quality in San Francisco, California? Is it safe to drink?

The tap water quality in San Francisco, California, is generally safe to drink and meets all federal and state regulations. The local water utility that serves San Francisco is San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

Water Quality Problems:

Source: San Francisco's water primarily comes from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada, along with some local watersheds and groundwater sources. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is known for its pristine quality due to its protected watershed.
Testing and Standards: The SFPUC regularly conducts rigorous water testing and is compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards as well as the California State Water Resources Control Board mandates. The water is tested for a range of contaminants, including bacteria, lead, and other harmful substances, ensuring it remains safe for consumption.
Water Hardness: San Francisco's water is considered moderately hard. It contains mineral content, such as calcium and magnesium, which can lead to scaling in appliances like dishwashers and heaters over time.
Common Concerns: Some residents report issues such as the taste and odor of chlorine, which is used as a disinfectant. There are also concerns related to older piping in residential buildings that may affect water quality, particularly regarding lead exposure. It is advised to run the tap for a few minutes before using water for drinking or cooking if it has been stagnant for a long time.

Residents are encouraged to use water purifiers and water softeners to protect themselves from potential contaminants and to improve the taste and quality of their water. Filters can help remove chlorine and other impurities, while water softeners address issues of mineral buildup in appliances. Taking these steps can ensure the tap water meets individual preferences and safety concerns.

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Get Involved. Take Action

Contact Your Local Elected Official & Water Supply Company

One of the best ways for cleaner water is to talk to elected officials who have a say in water quality. Ask questions and demand actionable plans for healthier water.

Filter Out Contaminants

Check out different water filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.

Which water purifier to get for San Francisco, California?


Types of filters	GAC & Carbon	Micro filter	Ultra filter	Nano filter	Reverse Osmosis filter
Particle size filtered	> 10 Microns	10 to 0.1 Microns	0.1 to 0.01 Microns	0.01 to 0.001 Microns	< 0.0001 Microns

Common Suspended Compounds
Sediments
Pollen
Giardia Cysts
Bacteria, Algae
Yeast Cells
Asbestos fibers
Blue Indigo Dye
Cryptosporidium
MicroPlastics	Some
PFAs -polyfluoroalkyl substances	Some
Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Mercury
Haloacetic acids (HAA5/HAA9)
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Viruses			Some
Colloidal Silica			Some

Common Dissolved solids
1,1-Dichloroethane
Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)
Trichloroethylene
Pesticides and Herbicides	Some	Some
Synthetic Dyes
Bromide	Some	Some	Some	Some
Bromochloromethane	Some	Some	Some	Some
Hardness				Some
Aqueous Salts				Some
Endocrine disruptors				Some
Nitrate & nitrite				Some
1,4-Dioxane				Some
Aluminum				Some
Barium				Some
Chromium (total)				Some
Fluoride				Some
Manganese				Some
Molybdenum				Some
Selenium				Some
Strontium				Some
Trichlorofluoromethane				Some
Uranium, combined (pCi/L)				Some

What do we do? How do we help?

We have developed the TDSBot, an inexpensive IOT device that monitors, in real time, the Incoming and Outgoing TDS levels, temperature, flow rate and cumulative volume of water filtered. Easy to install, it works with all water purifiers including, sediment, GAC, Carbon, Micro, Ultra, Nano and Reverse Osmosis water filters. Key benefits:

Know the incoming and filtered water quality in real time.
Know the volume of water filtered by day, week, month and total.
Know in advance when to change filter cartridges. Too often we tend to realize that they need changing after the water purifier has stopped working or worse, when the water smells bad.
Change filters only when needed. Sometimes filters perform longer than their standard life due to better incoming water or lower usage. Reduce waste and save money.
Quality data collected is aggregated to show real time water quality data to all the community.

TDSBot can be installed on water purifiers from Pentair, Culligan, 3M, Brita, BWT, iSpring, and most other brands. Supports sediment, GAC, Micro, Ultra, Nano and Reverse osmosis filters. It can remotely monitor filters attached to Coffee machines, Ice makers, soda fountains, water dispensers, ovens, laundry & dish washing, car wash found at Cafes, convenient stores, healthcare facilities, hotels, offices, restaurants, colleges, schools, hydroponic systems, and many more.

There are no TDSBots in San Francisco, California that are sharing tap water quality. Be the first one to install one on your water purifier. We are giving $10 off. Apply coupon code - San Francisco while checking out.

Ensure safe and healthy drinking water. Start sharing tape water quality in San Francisco for the benefit of the community

Sustainability Impact Insights

TDSBot can generate a variety of sustainability data, including water usage metrics, identify areas of reducing water waste, leak detection and prevention, extend filter and equipment lifespan, predictive maintenance alerts to extend equipment life and reduce environmental impact.

Sustainability data can be easily showcased on your corporate website or publicly shared on your social media

Learn About Water Quality

* A definition specific to a few codes is that “Safe drinking water” means water that meets all primary and secondary drinking water standards. Drinking water standards are set based on potential health impacts and also take into account the cost to meet the drinking water standard. Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines drinking water as safe when humans can drink it with low risk of immediate or long-term harm to your health. Although there may be health risks associated with certain contaminants found in drinking water not all contaminants are necessarily harmful.

** Based on the data collected from the TDSBots installed in Los Angeles, California

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