Hexavalent Chromium

Banner & text: Important info about your drinking water - Watsonville has chrome 6 levels above stan

This is not an emergency

As our customers, you have a right to know what you should do, what happened, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Water sample results from May 21, 2025, showed Cr6+ levels in six of our wells from 12 to 20 parts per billion (ppb). This is above the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), of 10 ppb. We are working with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to address this exceedance and comply with the MCL within a compliance timeline.

Do I need to do anything

No. You do not need to use an alternative water supply (e.g., bottled water).

This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing Cr6+ in excess of the MCL over many years (70+) may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

If you have other health issues concerning the consumption of this water, you may wish to consult your doctor.


What happened and what is being done 3

  • A new Cr6+ MCL of 10 ppb became effective October 1, 2024.
  • Cr6+ was detected at levels that exceed the MCL. However, a water system of our size is not considered in violation of the Cr6+ MCL until after October 1, 2026.
  • We are working to complete a Cr6+ Compliance Plan that will be reviewed by the SWRCB.
  • We are working with the SWRCB to address this exceedance and comply with the MCL. Specifically, this includes conducting a water system evaluation, the development of a Cr6+ treatment alternative analysis, pilot testing, permitting, and project design.

For more information, please contact Beau Kayser at 831.768.3193 or beau.kayser@watsonville.gov.


Please share this information with other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this public notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or by mail.

Communications requirements

If you are a school or school system, the owner or operator of residential rental property, or the owner or operator of a business property, then you are legally required to notify the following people of the information in this notice within ten days of your receipt of this notice:

Schools: You must notify school employees, students, and parents (if the students are minors).

Residential Rental Property Owners or Managers (including nursing homes and care facilities): You must notify tenants.

Business Property Owners, Managers, or Operators: You must notify employees of businesses located on the property.

If you fail to notify the above people, you shall be civilly liable for up to $1,000 per day for each day that you fail to notify them. (Health & Saf. Code, §§ 116450, subd. (g); 116650, subd. (e).)