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Is Tracy Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: 7:47 pm, July 20, 2022
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Table of Contents

Can You Drink Tap Water in Tracy?

Yes, Tracy's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Tracy has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page or the city's water provider website.

According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Tracy's water utility, City of Tracy, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the City of Tracy water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.

While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.

The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.

Water Quality Report for Tracy Tap Water

The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Tracy tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.

Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.

EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.

There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.

We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Tracy's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.

Tracy Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years

Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Tracy for Tracy in California. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.

Is there Lead in Tracy Water?

Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Tracy water system, City of Tracy, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.00087 mg/L of lead in Tracy water. This is 5.8% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Tracy contained more lead.

While Tracy water testing may have found 0.00087 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.

No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.

Are there PFAS in Tracy Tap Water?

Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Sharpe Army Depot - near Tracy with suspected leaks.

With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Tracy has been evaluated for yet.

Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.

What do these Violations Mean?

Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.

Health Based Violations

  1. Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
  2. Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
  3. Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.

Non-Health Based Violations

  1. Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
  2. Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
  3. Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.

SDWA Table Key

Field Description
Compliance Period Dates of the compliance period.
Status Current status of the violation.
  • Resolved - The violation has at least one resolving enforcement action. In SDWIS, this indicates that either the system has returned to compliance from the violation, the rule that was violated was no longer applicable, or no further action was needed.
  • Archived - The violation is not Resolved, but is more than five years past its compliance period end date. In keeping with the Enforcement Response Policy, the violation no longer contributes to the public water system's overall compliance status. Unresolved violations are also marked as Archived when a system ceases operations (becomes inactive).
  • Addressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and is addressed by one or more formal enforcement actions.
  • Unaddressed - The violation is not Resolved or Archived, and has not been addressed by formal enforcement.
show details
Health-Based? Whether the violation is health based.
Category Code
The category of violation that is reported.
  • TT - Treatment Technique Violation
  • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
  • Other - Other Violation
  • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level Violation
  • MR - Monitoring and Reporting
  • MON - Monitoring Violation
  • RPT - Reporting Violation
show details
Code A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table.
Contaminant Code A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation.
Rule Code Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rule
  • 121 - Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 122 - Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 123 - Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Ground Water Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 331 - Nitrates
  • 332 - Arsenic
  • 333 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 111 - Revised Total Coliform Rule
show details
Rule Group Code Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
  • 120 - Surface Water Treatment Rules
  • 130 - Filter Backwash Rule
  • 140 - Groundwater Rule
  • 210 - Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 220 - Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 230 - Total Trihalomethanes
  • 310 - Volatile Organic Chemicals
  • 320 - Synthetic Organic Chemicals
  • 330 - Inorganic Chemicals
  • 340 - Radionuclides
  • 350 - Lead and Copper Rule
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
  • 110 - Total Coliform Rules
  • 410 - Public Notice Rule
  • 420 - Consumer Confidence Rule
  • 430 - Miscellaneous
show details
Rule Family Code Code for rule family.
  • 100 - Microbials
  • 200 - Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
  • 300 - Chemicals
  • 400 - Other
  • 500 - Not Regulated
show details

For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.

Tracy Water - Frequently Asked Questions

WHERE DOES YOUR WATER COME FROM?
Sources of the City of Tracy’s water supply include the Stanislaus River, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and groundwater pumped from wells. In 2019, 49% of the water supply, or 2.8 billion gallons, came from the Stanislaus River. Water from the Delta-Mendota Ca- nal comprised 47% of the total water supply, or 2.6 billion gallons. The groundwater supply comprised 4%, or 0.21 billion gallons. During 2020, the City anticipates having an adequate water supply for the community. Water Quality Control Before the water reaches your property, samples are collected and tested in State-certified laboratories. The City of Tracy has a water quality monitoring program and inspection system that ensures safe drinking water is delivered to you and your family. As required by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the City’s water supplies must meet stringent water quality standards set by the California Department of Public Health and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The City of Tracy completed a watershed sanitary survey of its drinking water sources in 2016. This survey can be obtained by con- tacting the Water Treatment Superintendent at the number provided below. Water customers who are landlords receiving this report are asked to share this information with any tenant or user on the premises. The City of Tracy staff is available to answer your questions and pro- vide further information: (209) 831-6302.
HOW DO I CONTACT TRACY CUSTOMER SERVICE?
To contact customer service for the Tracy water provider, City of Tracy, please use the information below.
By Phone: 209-831-6320
By Email: kuldeep.sharma@ci.tracy.ca.us
By Mail: 3900 Holly Drive
TRACY, CA, 95304
HOW TO PAY BILL FOR CITY OF TRACY
Already have an account?

Existing customers can login to their City of Tracy account to pay their Tracy water bill by clicking here.

Want to create a new account?

If you want to pay your City of Tracy bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Tracy water bill.

Want to pay without an account?

If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Tracy water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.

HOW TO START & STOP TRACY WATER SERVICE
Starting Your Service

Moving to a new house or apartment in Tracy means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Tracy. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.

Start Service Form

Want to create a new account?

Leaving your house or apartment in Tracy means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Tracy. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.

Stop Service Form

The estimated price of bottled water

$1 in USD (1.5-liter)

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

Tracy tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 30% Low
  • Water Pollution 40% Moderate
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 70% High
  • Water Quality 60% High

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Tracy, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Related FAQS

Tracy Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)

The EPA mandates that towns and cities consistently monitor and test their tap water. They must report their findings in an annual Consumer Confidence Report. Below is the most recent water quality report from Tracy's Water. If you would like to see the original version of the report, please click here.

Where Does Your Water Come From?

Sources of the City of Tracy’s water supply include the Stanislaus River, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and groundwater pumped from wells. In 2019, 49% of the water supply, or 2.8 billion gallons, came from the Stanislaus River. Water from the Delta-Mendota Ca- nal comprised 47% of the total water supply, or 2.6 billion gallons. The groundwater supply comprised 4%, or 0.21 billion gallons.

During 2020, the City anticipates having an adequate water supply for the community.

Water Quality Control

Before the water reaches your property, samples are collected and tested in State-certified laboratories. The City of Tracy has a water quality monitoring program and inspection system that ensures safe drinking water is delivered to you and your family.

As required by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the City’s water supplies must meet stringent water quality standards set by the California Department of Public Health and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The City of Tracy completed a watershed sanitary survey of its drinking water sources in 2016. This survey can be obtained by con- tacting the Water Treatment Superintendent at the number provided below.

Water customers who are landlords receiving this report are asked to share this information with any tenant or user on the premises. The City of Tracy staff is available to answer your questions and pro- vide further information: (209) 831-6302.

2019 Consumer Confidence Report

CITY OF TRACY

The City of Tracy is pleased to report that from January 1 - December 31, 2019 the water delivered to your home or business complied with, or exceeded, all state and federal drinking water requirements! Within this brochure is a table that lists detectable and non-detectable substances found in the City’s drinking water, and the maximum allowable sub- stance levels set by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

In California, drinking water standards, also called Maxi- mum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), are set in two cate-

gories: Primary Standards related to public health, and Secondary Standards which relate to the aesthetic quali- ties such as taste, odor, and color. Within you will find a complete listing of both types of standards along with the results of the analysis of your water supply.

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ANALYTICAL PARAMETER

PRIMARY STANDARDS

INORGANIC (ug/L)

Arsenic

Barium

Chromium

Copper

Iron

Manganese

FLUORIDE (mg/L)

Fluoride

NITRATE/NITRITE

Nitrate (as NO3)

Nitrate + Nitrite (sum as N)

Nitrite (as N)

REGULATED ORGANICS (ug/L)

TRIHALOMETHANE

Bromodichloromethane

Bromoform

Chloroform

Dibromochloromethane

Total Trihalomethane

SECONDARY STANDARDS

Aesthetic - Related

Apparent Color (Units)

Foaming Agents (MBAS) (mg/L)

Odor (TON)

Potassium (K) (mg/L)

Turbidity (NTU)2

Bicarbonate (HCO3) (mg/L)

Carbonate (CO3) (mg/L)

Hydroxide Alkalinity (OH) (mg/L)

Total Alkalinity (CaCO3)(mg/L)

Boron (B) (mg/L)

Calcium (Ca) (mg/L)

Magnesium (Mg) (mg/L)

Sodium (Na) (mg/L)

Total Hardness (CaCO3) (mg/L)

TDS (mg/L)

Specific Conductance (umhos/cm)

Chloride (mg/L)

Sulfate (mg/L)

pH

WATER DISTRIBUTION DATA SHEET

BACTERIOLOGICAL (% Present)

Coliform Density

ORGANICS (ug/L)

Total Trihalomethane

Total Haloacetic Acids

TREATED SURFACE WATER

 

WELL WATER

 

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SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN IRRIGATION DISTRICT

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Erosion of natural deposits

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

NA

 

Erosion of natural deposits

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

NA

 

Erosion of natural deposits

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42

139

93

190

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ND

ND

2

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3

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Stanislaus River Water

The City of Tracy is committed to providing a safe, relia- ble and affordable water supply to meet the needs of the community today and in the future. The City has partici- pated with the cities of Manteca, Lathrop, Escalon, and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District to bring high quality Sierra water from the Stanislaus River. This wa- ter source has increased the reliability of City water supplies by having a third source of supply and redundan- cy in treatment facilities. Delivery of this water compris- es the majority of water consumed in the City and is the only supply source used during the winter months. The Stanislaus River water supply is very soft water and has significantly reduced the minerals in the City’s water supply. You may no longer need to use a water softener.

Cross Connection Protection

Backflow prevention assemblies are designed to allow water to flow into your home or office from the public water system but not allow water to flow in the reverse direction, creating effective cross connection protection. Reverse flow can carry untreated pollutants and contami- nants back to the public water system, compromising the water quality for all customers. Backflow prevention assemblies are required to be tested annually to ensure they are effectively protecting the public water system. If your residence has an active well on the premises or your business has fire sprinklers and/or landscaping, you should have a backflow prevention assembly. For ques- tions regarding annual testing requirements, please call Erich Delmas, Laboratory Supervisor at (209) 831-6325.

Water Source Assessment

DEFINITIONS

AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other require- ments, which a water system must follow.

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible.

Secondary MCLs (SMCL): Are set to protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water.

MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below, which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

PHG (Public Health Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

PDWS (Primary Drinking Water Standard): MCLs for contaminants that affect health along with their moni- toring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements.

  1. (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking wa-
    ter.
    NA: Not applicable.
    ND: Not detected.
    NS: No standard.
    NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of water.
    ppb (Parts Per Billion): One part per billion (or micrograms per liter).
    ppm (Parts Per Million): One part per million (or milligrams per liter).
    pCi/L (Picocuries Per Liter): A measure of the natural rate of radioactive disintegration.
    umhos/cm (Micromhos Per Centimeter): A measure of electrical conductance.

DISINFECTION PRACTICES

The City effectively disinfects the drinking water using three processes: ultraviolet (UV) light, chlorine, and chlora- mines.

CHLORAMINES: Chloramines are used late spring, summer, and early fall depending on the temperature of the wa- ter. When the water temperature rises the chlorine residual can degrade quickly and form Trihalomethanes, as seen in the above chart. Chloramine is a compound formed by adding ammonia to chlorine. This compound is a more stable disinfectant that does not degrade as quickly as just chlorine. Also chloramines do not react as quickly with the organ- ics in the water and form Trihalomethanes. However, chloramines must be removed for kidney dialysis treat- ment and may require recalibration of dialysis equipment. If you are receiving kidney dialysis treatment, please contact your doctor or dialysis technician.

SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING THE DETECTION OF LEAD AND COPPER

Lead and Copper

 

 

 

 

 

 

(To be completed

 

 

 

 

 

 

only if there was a

 

90TH

 

 

 

 

detection of lead or

# Of

Percentile

# Sites

 

 

 

copper in the last

Samples

Level

Exceeding

 

 

 

sample set)

Collected

Detected

AL

AL

MCLG

Typical Source of Contaminant

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internal corrosion of household water

Lead (ppb)

48

0.001

0

0.015

0

plumbing systems; discharges from industrial

 

 

 

 

 

 

manufacturers; erosion of natural deposits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internal corrosion of household water

Copper (ppm)

48

0.43

0

1.3

1.3

plumbing systems; erosion of natural

 

 

 

 

 

 

deposits; leaching from wood preservatives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An assessment of the drinking water sources for the City of Tracy’s water system was completed in June 2001. The sources are considered most vulnerable to the fol- lowing activities: airports (maintenance and fueling areas), gas stations (historic and current), mining activities (historic and current), septic and waste landfill dumps (historic and current). You may request a copy of the assessment by contacting the Water Treatment Superin- tendent, Lea Emmons, at (209) 831-6302.

The native groundwater under Tracy contains boron. Boron is a naturally occurring, non-carcinogenic, unregu- lated contaminant. Six of the City’s wells contain elevat- ed levels of boron. Although well water comprises only a small portion of the City's total water supply, well wa- ter does contain boron. Some pregnant women who drink water containing boron may have an increased risk of developmental effects in their baby, based on studies in laboratory animals.

SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING

TREATMENT

OF SURFACE WATER SOURCES

Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water (type of approved filtration technology used).

Turbidity of the filtered water must:

  1. Be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in 95% of meas- urements in a month.
  2. Not exceed 1 NTU for more than eight consecutive hours.
  3. Not exceed 3 NTU at any time.

Turbidity Performance Standards: Turbidity (measured in NTU) is a measurement of the cloudiness of water and is a good indicator of water quality and filtration performance. Turbidity results, which meet performance standards, are considered to be in compli- ance with filtration requirements (that must be met through the water treatment process).

Lowest monthly percentage of samples that met Turbid- ity Performance Standard No.1: 100%. Highest single turbidity measurement during 2018 was .18 NTU.

Note: The City’s water is in complete compliance with regulations related to lead and copper.

Contaminants

City of Tracy

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.

Utility details

  • Serves: 82000
  • Data available: 2012-2017
  • Data Source: Surface water
  • Total: 25

Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines

  • Arsenic
  • Bromodichloromethane
  • Bromoform
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium (hexavalent)
  • Dibromochloromethane
  • Dichloroacetic acid
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrate and nitrite
  • Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
  • Trichloroacetic acid

Other Detected Contaminants

  • 1%2C4-Dioxane
  • Aluminum
  • Bromochloroacetic acid
  • Bromochloromethane
  • Chlorate
  • Chromium (total)
  • Dibromoacetic acid
  • Fluoride
  • Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Strontium
  • Uranium
  • Vanadium

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

Sources and Resources

Sources Cited

Additional Resources

'

"Toxic drinking water" is a very real concern and is being widely discussed as we speak. More people are being diagnosed with this problem, causing a large number of people to become extremely concerned about the safety of their drinking water, especially if they consume tap water. There are some simple tips and tricks that anyone can do to keep their tap water safe and pure...

To begin with, you have to understand what kind of chemicals are in the water. Most tap water is treated using chlorine and bromine, and these chemicals are the ones that cause most of the problems. These chemicals do not make the water any safer, and in many cases, they actually make it more toxic.

The best thing you can do to make sure your tap water is clean is to switch to water filters, which will not only remove all of the impurities from your water, but remove any toxins from the water as well. You will find that if you get a water filter that removes both chlorine and b

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