Is Corpus Christi, TX tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Corpus Christi · serves 317,247 people (103,177 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID TX1780003
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Corpus Christi gets its water from City of Corpus Christi. Parts of the city are served by 3 smaller systems: Nueces County Water Control & Improvement District 4 (14,880 people), Nueces County Water Control & Improvement District 3 (14,000 people), Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Water System (7,048 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit3 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 26.2 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 level1.4 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved2 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Feb 2021. 2 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently Feb 2021. 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 Corpus Christi's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (361) 826-3100.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2023 to Oct 2023. "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 | 9.6 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 0.95 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 2.25 ppt |
29 PFAS tested, 3 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 4 of 4 samples. Highest result 26.2 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: 1.4 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2.92 ppb (Jun 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2.4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2017 – Jun 2017 | 2.92 ppb |
| Jul 2016 – Dec 2016 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 4.8 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 2.69 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 4.53 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 4.7 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 1.8 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of Corpus Christi publishes a service line inventory where you can look up what your line is made of. It doesn't publish summary counts.
Look up your address · Source (the utility, collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not EPA data) · Checking your own line
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 |
|---|---|
| Feb 2021 2 times | The water was too cloudy too often in a month. Cloudiness can shield germs from disinfection. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule · Monthly 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 | 1.34 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 7 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.3 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.39 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.08 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 210 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Corpus Christi
32 ZIP codes the system reported serving
78373, 78380, 78401, 78402, 78403, 78404, 78405, 78406, 78407, 78408, 78409, 78410, 78411, 78412, 78413, 78414, 78415, 78416, 78417, 78418, 78419, 78426, 78427, 78460, 78463, 78465, 78466, 78467, 78468, 78469, 78472, 78480
Nearby utilities
- City of Victoria Victoria · 75 mi
- Harlingen Water Works System Harlingen · 112 mi
- City of Edinburg Edinburg · 116 mi
- North Alamo Water Supply Corporation Weslaco · 121 mi
- Brownsville Public Utilities Board Brownsville · 123 mi · PFAS above limit
- McAllen Public Utility McAllen · 124 mi
Questions
Is Corpus Christi tap water safe to drink?
Most of Corpus Christi gets its water from City of Corpus Christi. City of Corpus Christi had 2 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 Corpus Christi water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Corpus Christi found 3 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Corpus Christi water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Corpus Christi is 1.4 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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 TX1780003: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TX1780003).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Corpus Christi'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: (361) 826-3100.
- City of Corpus Christi 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.