There are two drinking water sources used as the University’s water supply- Groundwater and Surface Water.
Six on-campus wells are used as the University’s groundwater supply. These wells draw water from aquifers 800 to 1,400 feet below the ground. The water is not treated, except for disinfection using chlorine (sodium hypochlorite). Chlorine levels are typically maintained between 0.50 and 1.0 ppm (parts per million) in the distribution system.
Starting July 2017, the University began to integrate treated surface water from the Sacramento River to the drinking water system. Raw surface water from the Sacramento River is taken in and pumped to the Regional Water Treatment Facility in Woodland. The raw water is treated by traditional surface water techniques, such as flash mixing and granular media filtration to remove microorganisms and other contaminants. The finished water is injected with chlorine and ortho-phosphate before it is delivered into the University’s transmission line.
Utilities' staff continually monitors the quality of the water to ensure it is safe to drink.
View the latest Water Quality Report
View the archive of Water Quality Reports
How Does UC Davis Water Taste?
Taste is subjective, so opinions will vary from person to person. Some key indicators of the difference in taste between different water sources are Total Dissolved Solids, Specific Conductance, and Hardness. Lower numbers are often associated with water that is described as tasting good. A comparison of these three characteristics for other water supplies in our area is provided below.
Surface Water
| Source | Total Dissolved Solids (ppm) | Specific Conductance (μmhos/cm) | Hardness (ppb) |
| UC Davis | 120 (2017) | 203 (2017) | 55 (2017) |
| Sacramento | 82 (2016) | 126 (2016) | 51 (2016) |
| Woodland | 123 (2016) | 200 (2016) | 56 (2016) |
| Dixon | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Davis | 123 (2016) | 200 (2016) | 56 (2016) |
Groundwater
| Source | Total Dissolved Solids (ppm) | Specific Conductance (μmhos/cm) | Hardness (ppb) |
| UC Davis | 303 (2017) | 523 (2017) | 108 (2017) |
| Sacramento | 292 (2016) | 408 (2016) | 147 (2016) |
| Woodland | 521 (2016) | 904 (2016) | 384 (2016) |
| Dixon | 366 (2016) | 644 (2016) | 208 (2016) |
| Davis | 110 - 1500 (2016) | 511 (2016) | 143 (2016) |