Santa Ana
Santa Ana, CA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
city of santa ana
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID CA3010038
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Santa Ana, CA is a large city, with a population near 335,400 and the 11th-largest community in California. Like much of California, Santa Ana draws its water primarily from Sierra snowpack, Colorado River, State Water Project, and groundwater.
Santa Ana's water outlook is shaped most by drought — the issue that dominates planning across California. Orange County runs the world's largest groundwater replenishment system, and the state adopted direct potable reuse rules in 2023 — but the Central Valley's groundwater overdraft remains severe.
Santa Ana sits in a state that reuses roughly 23% of treated wastewater (established programs) and currently experiences abnormally dry to moderate drought.
For the bigger picture, see the California state water profile and the related issues below.
Orange County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~335,400 (11th-largest in California)
- Primary sources: Sierra snowpack, Colorado River, State Water Project, and groundwater
- Drought: abnormally dry to moderate conditions
- State reuse rate: ~23% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of California in severe+ drought (Moderate (D1) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Santa Ana?
Santa Ana's largest water system, CITY OF SANTA ANA, serves about 310,539 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Santa Ana get its water?
CITY OF SANTA ANA draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of California's supply from Sierra snowpack, Colorado River, State Water Project.
Related water issues
Drought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
ExploreColorado River
The river that supplies 40 million people has lost roughly a fifth of its flow since 2000, forcing a renegotiation of how seven states share the water.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExplorePotable Reuse
Advanced purification turns treated wastewater into water that meets or exceeds drinking-water standards — increasingly essential in water-stressed regions.
Explore