San Bernardino County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead
San Bernardino County, California has about 2,214,281 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 147 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is San Bernardino City, serving about 214,665 people from groundwater.
✓ 0 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 2 of 5 sampled systemsHardness 8.9 gpg (low confidence)
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
How hard is San Bernardino County water?
San Bernardino CityEstimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence
8.9 gpg(153 mg/L), hard
San Bernardino County: median of 11,176 results from 2382 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.
County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
Softener size at 8.9 gpg
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 10,653 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.
Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
The 6 biggest of 147 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
San Bernardino City
CA3610039 · serves about 214,665 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (4 types)
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFBS: highest sample 4.4 ppt (3 of 44 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFHxS: highest sample 4 ppt (3 of 44 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
PFHxA: highest sample 4 ppt (3 of 44 samples); no federal limit
PFPeA: highest sample 3.4 ppt (3 of 44 samples); no federal limit
CA3610041 · serves about 228,270 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
CA3610018 · serves about 213,375 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
CA3610034 · serves about 185,010 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (6 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 0.6 ppb (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFOA: highest sample 30 ppt (1 of 36 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFHxA: highest sample 7.1 ppt (1 of 36 samples); no federal limit
PFPeA: highest sample 6.7 ppt (2 of 36 samples); no federal limit
PFBA: highest sample 6.4 ppt (2 of 36 samples); no federal limit
PFOS: highest sample 5.2 ppt (1 of 36 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFHxS: highest sample 4.2 ppt (1 of 36 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
CA3610052 · serves about 140,721 people · Surface water
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below detection✓ No PFAS detected
Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2022-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.
A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.
Test your own tap
These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.
Common questions about San Bernardino County water
Is tap water in San Bernardino County safe to drink?
None of the 6 largest systems here have a health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021. San Bernardino City's most recent lead 90th percentile was below the lab detection limit (2022), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.
How hard is the water in San Bernardino County?
There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in San Bernardino County have a median of about 8.9 grains per gallon (153 mg/L, hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 8.9 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
Is there PFAS in San Bernardino County water?
2 of the 5 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 2 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.
Which water system serves my address in San Bernardino County?
Most homes are served by San Bernardino City or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.
Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.