Santa Barbara, CA
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.
Environmental data for Santa Barbara in California · Population: 443,975
TRI sites such as Okonite Co Inc; The Pictsweet Co - Santa Maria Ca Plant; US Dod Usaf Vandenberg Afb; SDWIS systems such as CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT; GOLETA WATER DISTRICT; LOMPOC-CITY WATER UTILITY DIV; NPL sites such as Casmalia Resources anchor Santa Barbara, CA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 43/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Santa Barbara include AMERICAN WATER O&M, LLC - VSFB; SANTA YNEZ RIVER WATER CONS. DIST. ID#1; SOLVANG WATER DIVISION, while Okonite Co Inc leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 49 / peak 146 in 2024.
Burden score 43/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Santa Barbara -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Santa Barbara, CA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
+7.9%
9 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-0.1%
32.7 thousand lb → 32.7 thousand lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Santa Barbara, CA's land releases rose from 676 lb in 2022 to 729 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Santa Barbara, CA's air releases fell from 5.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 5.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Santa Barbara, CA's off-site transfers rose from 26.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 26.8 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 193 (53%) | 171 | 2 | 146 |
| 2023 | 232 (64%) | 133 | 0 | 95 |
| 2022 | 198 (54%) | 167 | 0 | 93 |
| 2021 | 240 (66%) | 124 | 1 | 101 |
| 2020 | 199 (54%) | 154 | 9 | 174 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in California, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (59)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT | 109,477 | 0 |
| GOLETA WATER DISTRICT | 84,462 | 0 |
| LOMPOC-CITY WATER UTILITY DIV | 40,473 | 0 |
| AMERICAN WATER O&M, LLC - VSFB | 14,971 | 1 |
| MONTECITO WATER DIST | 11,962 | 0 |
| GUADALUPE WATER DEPARTMENT | 8,897 | 0 |
| VANDENBERG VILLAGE COMM. SERV. DIST. | 7,308 | 0 |
| SANTA YNEZ RIVER WATER CONS. DIST. ID#1 | 7,022 | 1 |
| SOLVANG WATER DIVISION | 6,126 | 1 |
| CITY OF BUELLTON WATER DIVISION | 5,161 | 0 |
| LA CUMBRE MUTUAL WATER CO | 4,861 | 0 |
| MISSION HILLS CSD | 3,600 | 0 |
| LOS ALAMOS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT | 1,534 | 0 |
| LOS PRIETOS COMPLEX | 845 | 0 |
| CUYAMA COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT | 700 | 0 |
| SAN VICENTE WATER COMPANY | 550 | 0 |
| EL CAPITAN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 325 | 1 |
| WOODSTOCK RANCH | 325 | 0 |
| SANTA YNEZ RANCHO ESTATES | 304 | 0 |
| SKYLINE PARK | 295 | 0 |
| RANCHO MARCELINO WATER | 240 | 0 |
| CASMALIA COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT | 234 | 0 |
| MAGIC MOUNTAIN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 221 | 6 |
| OAK TRAIL ESTATES | 211 | 0 |
| LAS POSITAS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 200 | 0 |
| ELLWOOD MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 186 | 1 |
| BERKSHIRE ESTATES | 180 | 0 |
| PAINTED CAVE | 160 | 2 |
| FOSTER ROAD MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 150 | 0 |
| MEADOWLARK RANCHES MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 150 | 0 |
| MIDLAND SCHOOL | 150 | 2 |
| EAST VALLEY FARMS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 142 | 0 |
| SISQUOC | 135 | 0 |
| RANCHO YNECITA | 129 | 0 |
| SAN MARCOS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 120 | 0 |
| BOBCAT SPRINGS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 115 | 0 |
| OAK TRAIL RANCH | 102 | 0 |
| VISTA HILLS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 75 | 3 |
| MONTECITO SEA MEADOWS | 70 | 0 |
| LAS COLINAS ROAD & WATER ASSN | 70 | 0 |
| ROLLING HILLS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 66 | 2 |
| CACHUMA VILLAGE | 60 | 0 |
| VIEJA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 60 | 0 |
| SANTA RITA WATER | 59 | 19 |
| LINGATE LANE MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 55 | 1 |
| ALEGRIA DOMESTIC MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 54 | 0 |
| WALKING M RANCHES | 54 | 0 |
| ESTERINA PROPERTIES | 50 | 1 |
| AAA KINDNESS CARE HOME | 45 | 2 |
| SAN AUGUSTIN MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 43 | 0 |
| RAY WATER COMPANY | 40 | 3 |
| EL RANCHO TAJIGUAS | 40 | 0 |
| ROSARIO PARK | 38 | 0 |
| SANTA ANITA MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 38 | 0 |
| CHALK HILL ESTATES HOA | 38 | 0 |
| MESA HILLS MUTUAL WATER COMPANY | 34 | 0 |
| JONATA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION | 30 | 5 |
| CACHUMA PROJECT | 0 | 0 |
| CENTRAL COAST WATER AUTHORITY | 0 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (12)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okonite Co Inc | 120.4K lbs |
| 2 | The Pictsweet Co - Santa Maria Ca Plant | 63.6K lbs |
| 3 | US Dod Usaf Vandenberg Afb | 12.0K lbs |
| 4 | Fcc Lompoc | 9.4K lbs |
| 5 | Raytheon Vision Systems | 7.6K lbs |
| 6 | Raytheon Vision Systems | 3.8K lbs |
| 7 | Nusil Technology LLC | 2.3K lbs |
| 8 | Microdyn-Nadir Corp | 255 lbs |
| 9 | Uscg Moorings Santa Barbara | 24 lbs |
| 10 | Cemex Santa Barbara Plant | 0 lbs |
| 11 | Calportland Co Garey Plant | 0 lbs |
| 12 | Calportland Co Santa Maria Plant | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (1)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Casmalia Resources | NPL Site | 30.00 |
Cities in Santa Barbara (18)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Santa Barbara, California? ▼
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What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.