SDG Indicator 6.1.1

Indicator 6.1.1 seeks to measure affordable, equitable access to safe drinking water in the San Diego region. The data for this Indicator shows how San Diego County has achieved the target set by the United Nations with complete access to drinkable water. The data for this Indicator comes from the California State Water Boards.

The San Diego County Water Authority regularly monitors water quality and delivers safe drinking water to its 24 retail member agencies every day. Tap water in the San Diego region meets the drinking water standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of California Water Resources Control Board.

Potable water supplied by the Water Authority comes from three primary sources.

 The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant treats up to 50 million gallons per day from the Agua Hedionda Lagoon through a public-private partnership between the Water Authority and Poseidon Water.  

 The Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment Plant, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, treats up to 350 million gallons per day from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project.

 The Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant, located near the Water Authority aqueduct north of San Marcos, treats enough water each year to serve up to 220,000 households.

The Water Authority regularly tests for lead and other contaminants in its supply sources and in the water it delivers to member agencies. Tests show no detectable levels of lead in any potable water from any treatment plant that serves the Water Authority.

Between 2017 and 2019, the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) completed an initiative to test for lead in drinking water at all public K-12 schools. The following graphs depict the results of the testing.