What's in your tap water, and what it costs
The City of Sunnyvale runs your water and sewer and bills both every two months, along with garbage. Where your water comes from depends on which side of El Camino you live on.
Last checked Oct 20, 2026 · Water quality from the 2025 report · Rates effective July 1, 2026
Where it comes from
Mostly Hetch Hetchy
Snowmelt from Yosemite, delivered by the San Francisco PUC. Very soft.
Mostly Valley Water
Imported and local reservoir water treated by Valley Water. Moderately soft.
City wells, about 2%
Local groundwater, blended in when demand is high. Very hard.
Projected 2026–27 mix: 56% Hetch Hetchy, 42% Valley Water, 2% wells. A few small pockets of the city are served by Cal Water instead. The city doesn't publish a street-level zone map.
What's in it (2025 tests)
| Measure | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 60 ppm Hetch Hetchy (3.5 grains/gal), 97 ppm Valley Water (5.7), 290 ppm wells (17) | Most homes don't need a softener. Expect harder water in summer if wells are running. |
| Disinfectant | Chloramine | Safe to drink. Remove it for fish tanks; dialysis patients should talk to their clinic. |
| PFAS | None detected (April 2024 – January 2025 federal testing) | Better than Cupertino's groundwater-based systems. |
| Lead | Not detected at the 90th percentile; 0 of 51 homes over | The city has no lead service lines. Old indoor plumbing can still add lead. |
| Nitrate | Wells avg 3.2 ppm (limit 10); not detected elsewhere | |
| Violations | One monitoring lapse by SFPUC (June 23 – July 2, 2025), corrected | A missed test at a treatment plant, not unsafe water. |
What you pay
| Charge (every 2 months) | FY 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| Meter charge (standard 5/8" meter) | $38.44 |
| Water, first 10 units | $6.03 / unit |
| Water, above 10 units | $7.03 / unit |
| Sewer (single-family, flat) | $155.60 |
| Typical month (10 units) | $84.52 water + $77.80 sewer |
1 unit (CCF) = 748 gallons. Rates rose 7.5% (water) and 7% (sewer) on July 1, 2026 after a public hearing where 102 owners protested; about 15,700 protests would have blocked it. A house with an ADU is billed at multi-family water and sewer rates. Sunnyvale's typical combined bill is the second-lowest of eight nearby cities in the city's own comparison.
Ways to pay less
Had a leak? Ask for the leak adjustment
After you fix it, the extra water is billed at a reduced rate (about $5.49 a unit). Once per year, with proof of repair. Call Utility Billing at 408-730-7400.
Replace lawn: $2 per square foot back
Up to $3,000Valley Water's landscape rebate, funded through June 30, 2027. Get approval before removing the lawn. Laundry-to-landscape graywater: $200. Valley Water hotline: 408-630-2554.
Hardship help
Sunnyvale has no low-income rate discount. Sunnyvale Community Services (408-738-4321) helps with city utility bills, and the city offers no-interest payment plans for one-time hardship.
Facts are checked against the public sources listed on each page. Rates change every year; each page shows when it was last checked. Individual bills are confidential in California, so personal numbers are estimates from public rates. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.