No private wells are on record for San Clemente; the City Water Utility serves most of town, Santa Margarita Water District serves Talega, and South Coast Water District covers a small part of north San Clemente. If pressure falls apart, the likely culprits are a pressure regulator, a booster pump on a hillside lot or a leak on your service line. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in San Clemente.
Do any San Clemente homes run on wells?
None are recorded here. The City's General Plan describes three water providers: the City Water Utility for most addresses, Santa Margarita Water District in Talega and South Coast Water District in a small slice of north San Clemente. The City's own supply mixes imported Metropolitan Water District water with water from Irvine Ranch Water District's Baker Water Treatment Plant, and the City also owns a local groundwater treatment plant. That plant is part of the public system; it doesn't mean individual homes have pumps. If you're unsure which provider serves you, the City's water quality report says to check your bill.
Why did my water pressure drop?
On a home with district water, the usual suspects are a pressure-reducing valve that has worn out, a leak in the line between the meter and the house, a partly closed main shutoff or a buildup of scale in older galvanized pipe. San Clemente's median home was built in 1982, so original regulators and shutoffs in many houses have seen decades of use. City water is also hard, at 293 mg/L (17 grains per gallon) from the Baker plant and 236 mg/L (14 grains per gallon) from imported treated water, and mineral deposits can clog regulator screens and aerators.
If water is pouring from the ground or the street, report it to the City's emergency utilities hotline for water leaks and sewer overflows at (949) 366-1553.
What about booster pumps on hillside lots?
Homes high on a slope sometimes rely on a booster pump to lift pressure. These units have a motor, a pressure switch and often a small tank, and they fail in the same ways a well pump does: rapid cycling, humming without moving water, or tripping a breaker. Salt air near the coast also corrodes electrical connections and housings on outdoor equipment. A plumber can test the switch and tank before deciding whether the pump needs replacing.
Permits and local contacts
Pump or piping replacements may need a permit from the Community Development Building Division at 910 Calle Negocio, (949) 361-6100. City utility billing is (949) 361-8315. Talega and north San Clemente residents should contact their own district for anything on the utility side of the meter.
Well Pump Repair questions in San Clemente
I'm on district water and my pressure dropped. Could a pump be involved?
Can hard water damage pump and pressure tank equipment?
Who should I call when the problem is on the utility's side?
What is a booster pump, and why do some hillside homes have one?
More plumbing services in San Clemente
Well Pump Repair nearby
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