Is Laredo, TX tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Laredo · serves 260,046 people (88,747 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID TX2400001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 34.3 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 level1.37 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 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved7 health-based violations since 2016, most recently May 2026. 2 required an urgent public notice within 24 hours (the kind behind boil-water notices), most recently May 2026. 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.
- 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 Laredo's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (956) 791-7300.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 2 entry points tested Jun 2023 to Jul 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 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 | 5.47 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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 8 of 8 samples. Highest result 34.3 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: 1.37 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 1.37 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 1.25 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Jun 2018 | 0.95 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2017 – Dec 2017 | 0.94 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 0.86 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2013 | 1.08 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 1.31 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 0.9 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 2.7 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 2.5 ppb |
Lead service lines: City of Laredo 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 |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) Archived |
| Oct 2024 | The system did not publish the required inventory of lead service lines (due October 2024). It says nothing about lead levels in the water. EPA record: Lead and copper rule revisions · LSL Inventory Resolved |
| Oct 2024 | E. coli was confirmed in the water. E. coli means the water may have been contaminated with sewage or animal waste. Urgent public notice required What that means EPA record: Revised Total Coliform Rule · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, E. coli (RTCR) Resolved |
| Apr 2016 – Jan 2017 4 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.11 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) 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 | 3.9 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 6.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.22 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 6.49 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Laredo
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 78040, 78041, 78043, 78044, 78045, 78046
Nearby utilities
- City of Eagle Pass Eagle Pass · 100 mi
- Agua Special Utility District Mission · 118 mi
- City of Mission Mission · 118 mi
- Sharyland Water Supply Corporation Mission · 118 mi
- City of Edinburg Edinburg · 118 mi
- McAllen Public Utility McAllen · 119 mi
Questions
Is Laredo tap water safe to drink?
Most of Laredo gets its water from City of Laredo. City of Laredo had 7 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 Laredo water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Laredo found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Laredo water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Laredo is 1.37 ppb, for the period ending Dec 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 TX2400001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID TX2400001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City of Laredo'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: (956) 791-7300.
- City of Laredo 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.