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Public water system record

City of Palo Alto

Serves Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, CA · 67,231 people served

Federal records show no health-based violations and no monitoring or reporting issues for City of Palo Alto in the last ten years.

  • CA4310009
  • PALO ALTO
  • CA
  • 67,231 served

System profile

Source water Purchased surface water
ZIP 94303
EPA system ID CA4310009

Verify this system on EPA ECHO →

Health-based violations, last 10 years
0
Resolved
0
Unresolved
0
Any acute record
No
Monitoring issues, last 10 years
0

Key facts

  • City of Palo Alto draws water from 8 wells (7 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
  • Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by California, April 2015.
  • Record on file since 1992, with 5 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
  • Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 0 unknown out of 20,872 service lines.

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Health-based violations

Since October 2016

Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.

None since October 2016, and no monitoring or reporting violations either.

Full record since 1992

EPA's records for City of Palo Alto go back to 1992. Before October 19, 2016 they list 5 health-based violations (5 resolved) and 1 monitoring or reporting violation.

Violations that began in Health-based Monitoring and reporting
1990s 2 1
2010 to October 18, 2016 3 0

Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began March 2015, Resolved.

Show all 5 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
Contaminant Start date Status
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
 Mar 1, 2015 Resolved
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
 May 1, 2012 Resolved
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
 Jul 1, 2010 Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
 Mar 1, 1995 Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
 Mar 1, 1992 Resolved

Enforcement actions

California regulators took 5 formal enforcement actions against City of Palo Alto between 1992 and 2015. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in April 2015.

Date By Action Violations covered
Apr 21, 2015 California Compliance order (no penalty) 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule
Sep 7, 2010 California Compliance order (no penalty) 1 violation (1 health-based): Total Coliform
Apr 2, 1997 California Compliance order (no penalty) 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule
Apr 9, 1993 California Compliance order (no penalty) 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule
Apr 3, 1992 California Compliance order (no penalty) 1 violation (1 health-based): Surface Water Treatment Rule

Where the water comes from

City of Palo Alto draws water from 8 wells (7 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). It also buys water from San Francisco Regional Water System. It also has emergency connections to City of East Palo Alto, City of Mountain View, Stanford University and Purissima Hills Water District. 3 other public water systems have emergency connections to City of Palo Alto.

Buys water from

Emergency or part-time connections to

Annual water quality report

City of Palo Alto must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.

Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.

Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search

Testing your own water

To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by California.

Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells