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Texas Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 1,772 cities across Texas — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 1,423 Cities covered: 1,772 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Texas earns an A for overall water quality

1772 communities across 254 counties and 1423 water systems. 89.6% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 1.60 ppb
50.5% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 46.6% of communities; 29 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 99.6% of communities
89.6% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
1,423
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
1.6 ppb
11% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
89.6%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Texas

✓ Cleanest Water
Amaya
Zavala County
0.6 ppb A
Fairchilds
Fort Bend County
0.0 ppb B
Red Lick
Bowie County
0.0 ppb A
Lake View
Val Verde County
1.3 ppb B
Bonney
Brazoria County
1.9 ppb B
San Antonio
Bexar County
1.6 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Paint Rock
Concho County
22.3 ppb F
Tye
Taylor County
0.0 ppb F
Aspermont
Stonewall County
2.7 ppb F
Zavalla
Angelina County
2.7 ppb F
White Settlement
Tarrant County
2.5 ppb D
Hitchcock
Galveston County
0.8 ppb D

Water Quality by County

254 of 254
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Starr County 100 0.8 ppb 0 B
Hidalgo County 58 1.0 ppb 0 B
Cameron County 53 1.6 ppb 0 A
Tarrant County 38 2.0 ppb 0 A
Harris County 37 2.7 ppb 0 A
Denton County 36 1.4 ppb 0 A
Webb County 35 1.4 ppb 0 B
Bexar County 31 1.6 ppb 0 A
Travis County 27 1.3 ppb 0 A
Dallas County 25 1.4 ppb 0 A

About Texas Drinking Water

Texas is served by 1423 community water systems covering 1772 communities across 254 counties. 89.6% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 874 communities, with a median of 1.60 ppb — 11% of the federal action level. A further 891 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 46.6% of communities here, and 29 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Texas tap water safe to drink? ▼
89.6% of communities have no open violation on record. 29 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Texas have a lead problem? ▼
21 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 891 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Texas? ▼
Lead results are reported for 99.6% of communities and PFAS for 46.6%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Texas compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.