San Diego tap water scores 61 out of 100 on water quality. It is legally safe, but it is also very hard, treated with chloramine, and contains trace contaminants that standard pitcher filters were never designed to remove. A free in-home water test tells you exactly what is in your home’s water and what (if anything) to do about it.
16.3GPG
Water hardness
(classified ‘very hard’)
Chloramine
Disinfectant standard filters don’t remove
PFAS
Detected near military installations
61/100
Water quality score (PurityMap 2026)
The right solution depends on your water, your home, and what matters most to you. Drinking-water purity, whole-home scale protection, well water, military-base PFAS concerns: each calls for a different approach. Start with a free in-home test. We will tell you exactly what your water needs and what it doesn’t.
We test, install, and maintain filtration systems exclusively in San Diego County. The water data on this page is the same data we use in your home.
If we have done plumbing work in your home, we already know your address, your plumbing, and your water heater. Adding a water quality consultation to your file is a 30-minute appointment. Most Paws customers in San Diego County have one or more of the issues described above and have never had their water formally tested. Free, no obligation, and we can usually combine it with your next service visit.
NATE CHURCH
4 years ago
STEVEN BLATCHFORD
ED
CAITLIN PARSON
Pure Water San Diego services the same San Diego County footprint as Paws Plumbing. PFAS concerns are most acute near Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, and Carlsbad. If you live in one of these areas, scheduling a PFAS-screening test is particularly worth doing.
Yes, San Diego tap water meets all current EPA and California legal standards. It is also very hard (16.3 GPG), treated with chloramine, and contains trace levels of contaminants (PFAS, chromium-6, disinfection byproducts) that are below legal limits but above what many homeowners want in their drinking water. Legal and ideal are not the same number.
For chlorine taste and some sediment, yes. For chloramine, PFAS, chromium-6, or hard-water minerals, no. Standard pitcher and faucet filters use activated carbon, which does not remove chloramine. Removing chloramine requires catalytic carbon. Removing PFAS at meaningful levels requires reverse osmosis.
A licensed Pure Water technician comes to your home, runs an on-site test (typically 30 to 45 minutes), and walks you through the results in plain language. There is no obligation to buy anything. If your water is fine, we tell you. If it needs treatment, we explain your options at every price point.
Pure Water San Diego is the water filtration and quality specialist arm of Paws Plumbing. Same ownership, same licensed plumbers, different focus. Paws handles emergency plumbing, repairs, and installations. Pure Water focuses specifically on water quality, filtration, and softening. All Pure Water installations are performed by Paws Plumbing’s licensed technicians.
Installed cost typically ranges from $1,800 to $4,500 depending on system type, water test results, and home plumbing configuration. Reverse osmosis under-sink systems are usually $800 to $1,500 installed. The free water test gives you a firm, written quote with no obligation.
Several San Diego County water districts restrict salt-based softeners due to brine discharge concerns. Salt-free water conditioners are compliant in restricted areas and address scale buildup, though they do not technically ‘remove’ hardness. We confirm which option is right for your address during the test.
