Since California’s new regulations for the water contaminant chromium six went into effect in October 2024, many Santa Cruz County residents have received notifications that their tap water may exceed the limit. … Of nearly 9,000 public water wells sampled in California from 2015 to 2025, 693 had at least one detection of chromium six above the 10 ppb billion standard, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. In Santa Cruz County, chromium six was detected above that level in more than 20 public groundwater sources. … The water at Rountree and Buena Vista has been found to have high levels of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” as well.

Other water quality news:

• Los Angeles Times: Fear that herbicides are poisoning Orange County creeks blows up on social media
• USGS: Data for analysis of decadal trends in the quality of groundwater used for public drinking-water supply in California, 2004-2023