CITY OF BAY CITY vs CITY OF HOUSTON
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
CITY OF HOUSTON has a lower risk classification (safe). CITY OF BAY CITY has 1 open health-based violation and 261 PFAS records. CITY OF HOUSTON has 0 open health-based violations and 2784 PFAS records.
Texas · TX1610001
Moderate Concern
Contaminants detected within limits but elevated. Consider filtration.
1
Open violations
261
PFAS records
Texas · TX1010013
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
2784
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | CITY OF BAY CITY | CITY OF HOUSTON |
|---|---|---|
| State | Texas | Texas |
| Risk Level | Moderate Concern | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 18,061 | 2,970,543 |
| Open Health Violations | 1 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 18 | 3 |
| PFAS Records | 261 | 2784 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Groundwater | Surface water |
| City Served | — | Houston |
Contaminants in Violation Records
CITY OF BAY CITY
- Lead
- Coliform (TCR)
- Nitrate
- Total Coliform
CITY OF HOUSTON
- Lead
- Coliform (TCR)
Key Differences
CITY OF BAY CITY has a moderate risk rating vs. safe for CITY OF HOUSTON.
CITY OF BAY CITY has 1 open health-based violation vs. 0 for CITY OF HOUSTON.
CITY OF BAY CITY has 261 PFAS records vs. 2784 for CITY OF HOUSTON.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — CITY OF BAY CITY or CITY OF HOUSTON?
CITY OF HOUSTON has a lower risk classification (safe). CITY OF HOUSTON has 0 open health-based violations compared to 1 for the other system.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.