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Public water system record

City of Houston

Serves Houston, Harris County, TX · 2,970,543 people served

Federal records show 1 health-based violation and 1 monitoring/reporting issue for City of Houston in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule violation.

  • TX1010013
  • HOUSTON
  • TX
  • 2,970,543 served

System profile

Source water Surface water
ZIP 77251
EPA system ID TX1010013

Verify this system on EPA ECHO →

Health-based violations, last 10 years
1
Resolved
1
Unresolved
0
Any acute record
Yes
Monitoring issues, last 10 years
1

Key facts

  • City of Houston draws water from 107 wells and 4 surface water intakes (8 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
  • Record on file since 1991, with 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
  • Lead pipe inventory: 0 lead and 427,111 unknown out of 508,198 service lines.

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Health-based violations

Since October 2016

Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.

Contaminant Rule family Start date Status Acute
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
 120 May 1, 2025 Resolved Yes

Monitoring and reporting issues

Since October 2016

Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.

Issue Start date Status
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Monitoring violation
 Dec 1, 2019 Resolved

Full record since 1991

EPA's records for City of Houston go back to 1991. Before October 19, 2016 they list 3 health-based violations (2 resolved, 1 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 3 monitoring or reporting violations.

Violations that began in Health-based Monitoring and reporting
1990s 1 0
2000s 0 2
2010 to October 18, 2016 2 1
October 19, 2016 to 2019 0 1
2020s 1 0

Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Total Coliform, began May 2015, Resolved.

Show all 3 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
Contaminant Start date Status
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
 May 1, 2015 Resolved
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
 Apr 1, 2015 Resolved
Total Coliform (acute)
Contaminant limit exceeded
 Jan 1, 1991 Archived

What the violations mean

Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule

1 incident

The system did not meet a filtration or treatment requirement for surface water

Inadequate treatment of surface water can let pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia through

Where the water comes from

City of Houston draws water from 107 wells and 4 surface water intakes (8 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). It also buys water from Pine Trails Utility. 69 other community water systems and 13 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from City of Houston. 13 other public water systems have emergency, seasonal or other part-time connections to City of Houston.

Buys water from

Community systems that buy water from it

Annual water quality report

City of Houston must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.

Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.

Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search

Testing your own water

To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Texas.

Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells