As residents of California, we are constantly reminded how important it is to protect our precious natural resource, water. But you may not even think about what it takes to purify and deliver that quality water to your home or business.

Soquel Creek Water District's number one priority is providing all of our customers with a safe and reliable supply of water that can be used with confidence. The District tests for over 150 contaminants. We are proud to report that the water provided by the District meets or exceeds established water quality standards. This means that it is very safe to drink.

Each day, our employees work to ensure that the water delivered from our facilities meets all regulatory requirements and your expectations for safety, reliability, and quality. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the State Department of Health Services (DHS) prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. These results are printed in the District's Annual Water Quality Report, which is mailed to customers during May and June.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Click here for more information about drinking water regulations.

Click here for a comparison of leading brands of water filters.

On September 4, 2007, the District's Board of Directors held a public hearing for the purpose of accepting and responding to public comment on the District's Public Health Goal Report. Click here to download a copy of the report. Copies are also available to the public during business hours at the District office.

Soquel Creek Water District Informational Update Regarding Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water

March 12, 2008

• The Soquel Creek Water District is concerned about public health, and wants the drinking water delivered to be the safest it can possibly be.
• In November of 2007, Soquel Creek Water District participated in a USEPA/USGS (United States Environmental Protection Agency/United States Geological Survey) joint study where samples of raw water were analyzed for “Compounds of Emerging Concern”, which included pharmaceuticals. The District has not yet received the results of this study, but the report will be made available to the public when it is released.
• All of Soquel Creek Water District's water supply comes from wells, which pump the water from underground aquifers. The main source of this water is precipitation that falls in the hills within mid-Santa Cruz County then percolates into the Soquel-Aptos groundwater basin. Because the source water has had relatively little exposure to anthropogenic (human) sources of contamination, we believe that the risk of pharmaceutical contamination is much lower than many of the water systems mentioned in the news story.
• As stated in the Associated Press report, a major source of pharmaceutical contamination in drinking water comes from contact with wastewater (sewage). Most of the area where Soquel Creek Water District has wells is served by a sewer system that transports the wastewater out of the area where it is treated then discharged far offshore. Most of our groundwater supply is therefore protected from contact with this source of contamination. The notable exception is La Selva Beach, which has septic systems. The sample water submitted for the USEPA/USGS study mentioned above was taken from a La Selva Beach well for this reason.

Following is more generic information regarding pharmaceuticals in drinking water:

• The presence of pharmaceuticals and other personal care products in water is not new. They likely have been present in water supply sources for as long as such products have been in use. What is new is that advances in laboratory technology have made it easier to detect and measure them at extremely low levels. These lab methods are not widely available and are still experimental and under development.
• Recent studies have told us these substances are present, but little is known about the effects on people and the environment. The fact that a substance is detectable does not mean the substance is harmful to humans. Research conducted around the world to date has not identified a health concern associated with pharmaceuticals and consumer products at the minute levels detected in the study. People regularly consume or expose themselves to products containing these compounds in much higher concentrations through medicines, food and beverage and other sources. The levels in which they are found in source waters is very small in comparison.
• The USEPA maintains an active program called the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) to identify contaminants in public drinking water that warrant detailed study. The CCL does not currently include any pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).
• There is a critical need for further studies to determine whether pharmaceuticals and personal care products pose a risk. Research is also needed to identify the best way to address these substances if they are in fact a health risk. We need to find out what the presence of these substances means for public health, and more importantly, how to manage the problem.
• Water agencies are encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency to take a broad look at the larger life cycle issues associated with pharmaceuticals. There may be more effective ways to deal with these substances in the environment before they reach the drinking water.
• Click here to download a PDF version of the above update on Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water