City of Houston water quality
Houston, TX · serves 3 million people (990,181 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID TX1010013
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Pine Trails Utility. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 33.9 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level5 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 Jun 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently May 2025. One required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently May 2025. What to do if you get a notice.
- 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.
- Got a boil-water or do-not-drink notice? What each notice means and what to do.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Houston's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (832) 393-1000.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 39 entry points tested Feb 2023 to Feb 2025. "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 Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3.35 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 2.8 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.82 ppt |
| 6:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 10.7 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 4 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
Detected in 69 of 96 samples. Highest result 33.9 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – Jun 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – Jun 2024 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2021 – Dec 2021 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4.01 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2016 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 3.72 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 3.38 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 4.2 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 4.1 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 5.2 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 |
|---|---|
| May 2025 | The water was cloudier than allowed at least once. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Single Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (limit ) Resolved |
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 | 48.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 16 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 515 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.65 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 6.66 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 7.6 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Cobalt | 2.1 ppb | 70 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.091 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
103 ZIP codes the system reported serving
77002, 77003, 77004, 77005, 77006, 77007, 77008, 77009, 77010, 77011, 77012, 77013, 77014, 77015, 77016, 77017, 77018, 77019, 77020, 77021, 77022, 77023, 77024, 77025, 77026, 77027, 77028, 77029, 77030, 77031, 77032, 77033, 77034, 77035, 77036, 77037, 77038, 77040, 77041, 77042, 77043, 77044, 77045, 77046, 77047, 77048, 77049, 77050, 77051, 77053, 77054, 77055, 77056, 77057, 77059, 77060, 77061, 77063, 77064, 77067, 77071, 77072, 77073, 77074, 77075, 77076, 77077, 77078, 77079, 77080, 77081, 77082, 77083, 77084, 77085, 77086, 77087, 77088, 77089, 77090, 77091, 77092, 77093, 77094, 77096, 77098, 77099, 77251, 77338, 77346, 77396, 77401, 77477, 77489, 77498, 77503, 77504, 77506, 77536, 77546, 77547, 77587, 77598
Nearby utilities
- City of Houston Utility District 5 – Kingwood Houston · same area
- Clear Lake City Water Authority Houston · same area · PFAS above limit
- City of Pearland Pearland · 16 mi
- City of Pasadena Pasadena · 17 mi
- City of Sugar Land Sugar Land · 20 mi
- City of Webster Webster · 24 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is City of Houston water safe to drink?
City of Houston had 1 health-based violation 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 City of Houston water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Houston found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in City of Houston water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Houston is 5 ppb, for the period ending Jun 2024. 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 TX1010013: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TX1010013).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Houston's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (832) 393-1000.
- City of Houston website
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.