Water Quality

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is committed to bringing high quality water to our customers. Each day, we treat and test our water to help ensure that this commitment is kept.

Learn more about our water treatment process.

The City's Drinking Water Meets or Exceeds All State and Federal Drinking Water Standards

Each day, we test our water hundreds of times to ensure that we continue to meet the standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs) as required by the State and Federal Government.

We annually report on our water quality. Each June, you will receive a copy of this report in your water bill. See our annual water quality report, also called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) 

The City also strives to meet Public Health Goals (PHGs) which are set by the State of California to encourage drinking water providers to do the best they can to provide safe, high-quality drinking water. They are goals, not requirements for the City to achieve. The City actively works towards these goals and reports on them to the City Council every 3 years.

Important Information about Chromium 6

Chromium 6 is a drinking water contaminant that occurs primarily in ground water. It is important to note that about 85-percent of the City's drinking water comes from local rivers, not ground water, where chromium 6 is typically found.

On July 27, 2011, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) established a public health goal of 0.02 micrograms per liter. This public health goal is a goal that the City will strive to meet. The public health goal also will contribute to the California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) development of a maximum contaminant level of chromium 6. Once that level is established, the City will work to maintain chromium 6 levels to meet or be below the mandated level. In addition, once a maximum contaminant level is established, the City will report its findings to you annually in the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). More information regarding the development of maximum contaminant level and the public health goal can be found here.

Additional information about chromium 6 from OEHHA.