San Jose, CA Water Quality (ZIP 95111)

Quick Answers

Is ZIP 95111 tap water safe to drink? PFAS compounds have been detected in 95111's water at an average of 4.03 ppt across 4 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended, especially for sensitive populations.

What filter should I use in 95111? Match the filter to the data: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together; NSF-53 pitchers cover the taps you drink from. A basic Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.

ZIP 95111 Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in the water systems serving ZIP 95111 (San Jose, CA). Monitoring found a peak of 6.2 ppt across 2 systems, averaging 4.03 ppt over 4 detected compounds. These levels come from individual EPA UCMR 5 water samples (2023-2025). The EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA and PFOS is enforced on a running annual average, so a sample above it shows real exposure but is not by itself a violation.

Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.

Top Detected Compounds in ZIP 95111

• PFOS: 6.2 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFHXS: 5.5 ppt
• PFPEA: 4.5 ppt (exceeds the EPA 4 ppt limit)
• PFHXA: 4 ppt

Lead in ZIP 95111 Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing recorded 9 lead samples for the systems serving 95111, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.0045 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; homes built before 1986 should use a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead filter.

EPA Violations Affecting ZIP 95111

The water systems serving 95111 has 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Surface Water Treatment Rule. A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

These figures come from EPA UCMR5 (2023-2025) plus Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS records for the public water system serving ZIP 95111. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history.

Beyond water: other exposures in San Jose, CA

Drinking water is one exposure route. These are the other federal datasets that cover ZIP 95111 and Santa Clara County, CA.

Radon risk in Santa Clara County, CA

The EPA places Santa Clara County, CA in Zone 2 - a moderate-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Zone maps predict the radon potential of an area from geology and existing indoor readings - they do not describe any individual home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and the only way to know your own level is a test kit.

Lead paint risk in Santa Clara County, CA

Census figures show 61% of homes in Santa Clara County, CA were built before 1980, and 8% before 1950. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so older housing stock is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This is a statistic about the county's housing, not a test of any particular property - if your home predates 1980, a lead swab test is the way to check.

Air quality in Santa Clara County, CA

Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) for Santa Clara County, CA averages 7.9 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual PM2.5 standard of 9 µg/m³. PM2.5 is the pollution fraction small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These are CDC modelled estimates for the county as a whole, not a reading taken at this ZIP code.

Superfund sites near 95111

There are 2 EPA Superfund (National Priorities List) sites within about five miles of 95111: Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. (about 3.2 miles); Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. (South San Jose Plant) (about 4.5 miles). Distances are measured from the ZIP code's geographic centre, so the distance from a specific address will differ. Proximity to a listed site is a fact about location - it is not itself evidence of exposure.

Industrial releases near 95111

EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 2023 records 2 reporting facilities within about five miles of 95111, together reporting roughly 9,247 pounds of on-site chemical releases that year. TRI covers facilities above federal reporting thresholds, so smaller sources are not included, and a reported release is not the same as a measured concentration in air or water.