Can I Drink Tap Water in San Francisco?

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) publishes water quality information and system details for the city and regional supply. SFPUC also reports that San Francisco drinking water meets or surpasses all state and federal standards. With major protected watershed sources and robust treatment/monitoring, San Francisco is a high-confidence tap-water city for travelers.

San Francisco is one of the stronger tap-water cities in the U.S. from a traveler perspective. SFPUC provides public information on water quality and regional water systems, including protected watershed sources and the broader infrastructure delivering water to the Bay Area. SFPUC also publishes news and consumer-facing statements emphasizing that San Francisco drinking water meets or surpasses all state and federal standards. In practical terms, visitors can usually drink tap water directly in hotels, apartments, and restaurants, use it for brushing teeth, and accept ice without concern. Taste is often better than in many large U.S. cities because of the regional source profile and treatment quality. As always, a specific building's internal plumbing can affect one tap, especially in older structures, but city-wide water quality is generally excellent.

San Francisco is a low-risk city for tap water and a good place to avoid bottled water. Travelers can normally drink straight from the tap, use tap water for brushing teeth, and accept ice in restaurants without concern. If a particular building has stale or metallic taste after stagnation, flush the tap briefly, but the city-wide supply is generally high quality.