Water quality

Texas water quality

Public water systems in Texas are regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and generally meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards, but documented regional issues exist. According to USGS-derived data and the EWG Tap Water Database, much of the state has hard to very hard water, and PFAS and arsenic have been detected in some systems. Conditions vary widely by city and utility, so local Consumer Confidence Reports are the best guide for a specific address.

Documented considerations

Hardness

Texas groundwater is broadly hard to very hard due to limestone and mineral-rich aquifers, with many major cities reporting hardness well above the US average. Hardness is an aesthetic and scale issue rather than a health hazard.

Arsenic

Naturally occurring arsenic has been detected in some Texas groundwater systems, with parts of the state reporting levels above the EWG health guideline though generally below the EPA legal limit of 10 ppb.

PFAS

According to data compiled in the EWG Tap Water Database, PFAS compounds have been detected in some Texas public systems, including detections in the Houston and Dallas areas.

Disinfection byproducts

Surface-water systems in Texas can show elevated total trihalomethanes, a chlorination byproduct, as reported in TCEQ and EWG data.

EPA compliance snapshot

From the EPA ECHO Safe Drinking Water Act database, Texas community water systems carrying one or more violations on record:

2,529

systems with a violation on record

165

with a health-based violation

113

flagged serious violators

Most common violation categories

Public Notice (582)
Revised Total Coliform Rule (478)
Lead and Copper Rule (458)
Consumer Confidence Rule (432)
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (181)
TTHM (165)

Counts are public EPA ECHO figures. 'Health-based' means a system carries at least one health-based violation flag in ECHO. A violation on record is not a statement that current tap water is unsafe; most systems return to compliance. Always check your utility's Consumer Confidence Report for current status. Source: EPA ECHO, retrieved 2026-06-01.

Certified filters for Texas's main concerns

7.2
AquaTru Classic Countertop RO
A no-plumbing countertop 4-stage RO purifier certified to NSF standards for lead, PFAS, fluoride and arsenic with an efficient drain ratio.
arsenic, pfas
7.5
Culligan US-EZ-4 Under-Sink
An under-sink filter genuinely IAPMO certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 for lead, cysts, VOCs, mercury and PFOA/PFOS.
pfas
7.2
Aquasana AQ-5200 Under-Sink
Certified for lead and PFAS, cheap per gallon, marketing matches the certified scope.
pfas
4.9
ZeroWater 5-Stage Pitcher (7-Cup)
A five-stage ion-exchange pitcher certified for lead, chromium-6 and PFOA/PFOS - but a short 15-gallon filter makes it costly to run.
pfas

FAQ

Is Texas tap water safe to drink?: Most Texas public water systems meet federal and state safety standards set by the EPA and TCEQ. Documented regional concerns include hardness, arsenic in some groundwater, and PFAS detections in certain systems, so checking your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for your specific address is recommended.
Why is Texas water so hard?: Much of Texas draws on limestone and mineral-rich aquifers that dissolve calcium and magnesium into the water. According to hardness data, many Texas cities rank well above the US average, which causes scale on fixtures and appliances even though hardness itself is not a health risk.
Should I worry about arsenic in Texas water?: Naturally occurring arsenic appears in some Texas groundwater. Most systems stay below the EPA's 10 ppb legal limit, but some readings exceed the stricter EWG health guideline. If your home uses a private well or a system with past arsenic detections, testing and arsenic-certified treatment are worth considering.

Sources

Not sure how to read your local report? See our guide on reading a water quality report.