Houston Tap Water Quality Report
Houston's water has 4 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. We recommend using a certified water filter.
Other systems listed for Houston with results above guidelines: CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD (2 above guidelines), CLASSIC PINES SUBDIVISION (1 above guidelines), SAGEMEADOW UTILITY DISTRICT (3 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY MUD 421 (3 above guidelines), KIRKMONT MUD (2 above guidelines), PINE TRAILS UTILITY (2 above guidelines), RIO VILLA WSC (2 above guidelines), NORTH BELT FOREST (1 above guidelines), SPRING MEADOWS MUD (2 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY MUD 8 (3 above guidelines), CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITY (5 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY WCID 156 (2 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY FWSD 1A (2 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT 18 (1 above guidelines), EL DORADO UTILITY DISTRICT (2 above guidelines), BAYBROOK MUD 1 (2 above guidelines), CLEAR BROOK CITY MUD (4 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY MUD 1 (3 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY MUD 55 HERITAGE PARK (2 above guidelines), HARRIS COUNTY MUD 26 (2 above guidelines)
People Served
2,202,531
Health-based violations since 2020
1
CITY OF HOUSTON. EPA SDWA violation data as of Q2 2026 (downloaded 2026-07-09).
Latest sample on file
Oct 2025 · CITY OF HOUSTON
Utilities publish newer results in their annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report).
Is Houston Tap Water Safe to Drink?
We strongly recommend using a certified water filter to reduce exposure: Houston's water has 4 contaminants above EPA health-based guidelines. Check our filter recommendations below for NSF-certified options that can remove the specific contaminants found in Houston's water.
CITY OF HOUSTON, Houston's water system, serves 2,202,531 people. 25 other systems are listed for Houston. Each system's results are listed under its own name, never added to CITY OF HOUSTON's. Water quality testing is conducted regularly and reported to the EPA. The latest sample on file for CITY OF HOUSTON is from Oct 2025.
In EPA's 2023–2026 UCMR 5 testing, CITY OF HOUSTON measured lithium at up to 33.9 µg/L, which EPA counts as above its health reference level of 10 µg/L. That level is a screening value EPA uses to decide what to study further, not a legal limit, and this result does not change this page's water-quality summary.
Boil water advisories are issued by water systems and state agencies, and they change from day to day. Boil water advisories in Texas
Houston Water Service Areas
What these numbers actually mean for Houston, TX
We read Houston, TX’s published record and send you a short report — which findings warrant a decision, which to ignore, and what to do about it. Including when the answer is nothing.
- 4 contaminants above EPA MCLGs and 18 contaminants with an EPA health goal detected in some samples (no level on file)
- 249 results on file
- 23 PFAS compounds on record
Buying a home here? Property Water Report — $49 Emailed within one business day.
Fluoride in Houston's water
The 5 largest of the 26 water systems serving Houston, by population served.
CITY OF HOUSTON
PWSID TX1010013
CITY OF HOUSTON reported 0.24 mg/L, below the 0.7 mg/L U.S. Public Health Service recommendation.
CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITY
PWSID TX1010056
CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITY reported 0.43 mg/L, below the 0.7 mg/L U.S. Public Health Service recommendation.
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD
PWSID TX1010348
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD reported 0.12 mg/L, below the 0.7 mg/L U.S. Public Health Service recommendation.
CLEAR BROOK CITY MUD
PWSID TX1010418
CLEAR BROOK CITY MUD reported 0.315 mg/L, below the 0.7 mg/L U.S. Public Health Service recommendation.
HARRIS COUNTY MUD 26
PWSID TX1010715
HARRIS COUNTY MUD 26 reported 0.14 mg/L, below the 0.7 mg/L U.S. Public Health Service recommendation.
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Recommended Water Filters for Houston
Based on Houston's water quality data, these NSF-certified filters are recommended to remove contaminants above EPA MCLGs.
Solventum Purification Inc.
3MRO401
NSF Certified:
Daily Production
11.48 gpd
Highlights:
- NSF-58 certified reverse osmosis system
- 11.48 GPD production capacity
- Reduces total dissolved solids (TDS) for purer water
Removes 15 contaminants:
+10 more
Copper, Cryptosporidium, Fluoride, Lead, Radium 226, Radium 228, Radium, combined (-226 & -228), Selenium, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity
Solventum Purification Inc.
3MRO301
NSF Certified:
Daily Production
11.48 gpd
Highlights:
- NSF-58 certified reverse osmosis system
- 11.48 GPD production capacity
- Reduces total dissolved solids (TDS) for purer water
Removes 15 contaminants:
+10 more
Copper, Cryptosporidium, Fluoride, Lead, Radium 226, Radium 228, Radium, combined (-226 & -228), Selenium, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity
Culligan
ZeroWater
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
1.9 gpm
Daily Production
1 gpd
Highlights:
- Compact design
- Easy to set up
- Affordable
- NSF-42, NSF-53, NSF-401 certified
Removes 19 contaminants:
+14 more
Strontium, Molybdenum, Fluoride, Uranium, Lead, Total PFAS, Chlorine, 25, Phosphorus, Bicarbonate, Calcium, Carbonate, Magnesium, Sodium
Santevia
Bath Filter
NSF Certified:
Flow Rate
0.36 gpm
Highlights:
- Organic cotton design reduces plastic used in construction
- Affordable upfront & ongoing cost
- The only bath filter that removed 100% chlorine with “normal” faster faucet flow
Removes 1 contaminants:
Verify Your Water Quality with Independent Testing
With 4 contaminants above EPA MCLGs and 18 contaminants with an EPA health goal detected in some samples (no level on file), independent laboratory testing provides a second opinion and can track changes over time.
SimpleLab
Advanced Home Water Test
$269
Comprehensive water analysis testing over 200 contaminants including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemical compounds.
Tap Score
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9) Test
$275
Tests for disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water treatment.
Tap Score
Advanced Microplastics Test
$829
Cutting-edge testing for microplastics particles in drinking water using advanced laboratory techniques.
With 4 contaminants above health guidelines, you may want to explore water purification options. Learn how to make distilled water at home for applications like humidifiers, CPAP machines, and baby formula.
What Houston's water readings can explain
Utility-reported data for Houston includes sulfate and a chlorine-based disinfectant — the readings behind these common tap water questions. We publish a city-level hardness figure for Houston, resolved from its water systems where they report one and estimated from county sampling where they do not. Each page starts with the hot-tap and cold-tap check, then shows what your own water system reported.
On a private well near Houston? Public-water results do not apply to private wells. See Harris County well water testing and USGS risk data — modeled arsenic, nitrate, and the tests to run.
Water softener cost and installation in Houston
Houston's tap water measures 5.8 grains per gallon (99.7 mg/L) — moderately hard on the USGS scale, below the range where scale is usually worth treating.
Water softener cost for 5.8 gpg water in Houston — equipment and local installation labour for your ZIP code, with the sizing arithmetic shown in full. For the national picture first, read what a water softener costs — equipment, installation labour and ten-year ownership, each separated out. For Texas as a whole, read water softener cost in Texas — priced against the plumber wage published for the state.
Frequently Asked Questions About Houston Tap Water
Houston's water has 4 contaminants above EPA MCLGs. We strongly recommend using a certified water filter to reduce exposure to these contaminants. Check our filter recommendations below for NSF-certified options that can remove the specific contaminants found in Houston's water.
Spotted something off on this page?
Residents keep our data honest.
This form corrects our data; it does not reach CITY OF HOUSTON. For a problem with your water now (discolored water, no water, low pressure, a leak), contact CITY OF HOUSTON directly.
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