City of Santa Fe Water System

Municipal water sources include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it naturally dissolves minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials, while also potentially collecting substances from animal presence or human activities.

Water contaminants can include:

• Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria from sewage facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that occur naturally or result from oil/gas production and mining

To ensure tap water safety, EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations set similar limits for bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection.

The arsenic standard for drinking water is 12 µg/L. Santa Fe's water met this standard throughout 2017. Arsenic naturally occurs in the earth's crust and can dissolve into groundwater when arsenic-containing rocks and soil erode. While our water meets EPA standards, it may contain low arsenic levels. The EPA standard balances current understanding of arsenic's health effects against removal costs. EPA continues researching health effects of lower arsenic levels, a mineral known to cause cancer at high concentrations and linked to skin damage and circulatory issues.

.. ...