Is Temple, TX tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Temple · serves 94,935 people (40,907 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID TX0140005
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Temple gets its water from City of Temple. Parts of the city are served by 2 smaller systems: Bell Milam Falls Water Supply Corporation (6,885 people), Moffat Water Supply Corporation (4,633 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit6 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level0 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved22 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Nov 2019.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Temple's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (254) 298-5700. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2023 to Mar 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.22 ppt 31% of the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 4.07 ppt 41% of the limit |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.41 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 2.95 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3.52 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 2.7 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.55 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 6 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 4.5 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 4.5 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 2.3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2016 | 3.5 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 2.6 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 1.37 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 2.73 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 2000 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1997 | 3.7 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 2.4 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mar 2019 – Nov 2019 9 times | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
| Jan 2016 – Apr 2017 11 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.082 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
| Jan 2016 2 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.095 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Archived |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 1.6 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chlorate | 570 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.36 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.37 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 1.9 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.8 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Temple
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 76501, 76502, 76503, 76504, 76513, 76554, 76579
Nearby utilities
- City of Killeen Killeen · 20 mi
- City of Waco Waco · 34 mi
- City of Georgetown Georgetown · 35 mi
- City of Round Rock Round Rock · 43 mi
- Manville Water Supply Corporation Round Rock · 43 mi · PFAS above limit
- Windermere Community Water System Round Rock · 43 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Temple tap water safe to drink?
Most of Temple gets its water from City of Temple. City of Temple had 22 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Temple water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Temple found 6 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Temple water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Temple is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for TX0140005: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TX0140005).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Temple at (254) 298-5700, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.