Home hazard report for 95196 — San Jose, CA
ZIP 95196 is served by San Jose Water: 1 violation since 2016, latest lead result 0 ppb, PFAS 6.2 ppt. Santa Clara is in EPA radon zone 2.
Health-based violations since 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2023). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 2 PFAS compounds detected.
Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code.
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Where ZIP 95196 is
blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: San Jose Water
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | 1 |
A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its legal limit (MCL) or a required treatment technique was not met, as reported by the state to EPA’s SDWIS. All are listed as resolved or archived; the latest began Jun 2023.
Full record for San Jose Water →
Other systems overlapping this ZIP: Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Lead
90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOS | 6.2 ppt | 2 of 37 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFHxS | 5.5 ppt | 12 of 36 | — |
| PFOA | not detected | 0 of 37 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFHpA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFBS | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFHxA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| PFPeA | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | not detected | 0 of 37 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
Radon in Santa Clara
EPA radon zone 2 — moderate potential. Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas from soil and rock, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above and considering it from 2 pCi/L. A short-term test kit costs about $15–30. How radon zones work →
Superfund sites nearby
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. San Jose, California · EPA ID CAD029295706 | Active (final NPL) | 1.7 mi |
| Intel Corp. (Santa Clara III) Santa Clara, California · EPA ID CAT000612184 | Cleaned up & deleted | 5.3 mi |
| Synertek, Inc. (Building 1) Santa Clara, California · EPA ID CAD990832735 | Active (final NPL) | 5.4 mi |
| Applied Materials Santa Clara, California · EPA ID CAD042728840 | Active (final NPL) | 5.7 mi |
| Intel Magnetics Santa Clara, California · EPA ID CAD092212497 | Active (final NPL) | 5.8 mi |
| Intersil Inc./Siemens Components Cupertino, California · EPA ID CAD041472341 | Active (final NPL) | 6.2 mi |
| National Semiconductor Corp. Santa Clara, California · EPA ID CAD041472986 | Active (final NPL) | 6.7 mi |
| Monolithic Memories Sunnyvale, California · EPA ID CAD049236201 | Active (final NPL) | 6.8 mi |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Sunnyvale, California · EPA ID CAD048634059 | Active (final NPL) | 7.4 mi |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (Building 915) Sunnyvale, California · EPA ID CAT080034234 | Active (final NPL) | 7.4 mi |
EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL): the country’s most serious known hazardous-waste sites, each with an EPA cleanup record (linked). Distance is measured from the ZIP center to the site’s reference point; being near a site does not by itself mean exposure — EPA site pages describe what was found and how it is being cleaned up.
What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.
Questions about 95196
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 95196?
San Jose Water (EPA ID CA4310011), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 1,039,920 people.
Is there lead in San Jose, CA tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2023) was 0 ppb; EPA’s action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb from 2027. Lead mostly comes from service lines and home plumbing, so the only way to know your tap is to test it.
Does San Jose, CA water have PFAS?
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 2 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 95196 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule. All are listed as resolved.
Are there Superfund sites near 95196?
Active or proposed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites near the center of this ZIP code. Sites within 10 miles: Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. (1.7 mi, Active (final NPL)); Intel Corp. (Santa Clara III) (5.3 mi, Cleaned up & deleted); Synertek, Inc. (Building 1) (5.4 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Santa Clara?
Santa Clara is in EPA radon zone 2 (moderate potential). Predicted average indoor radon between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Test your home; many homes here exceed 4 pCi/L.