Lead In Drinking Water In Texas
What residents of Texas need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Texas?
Yes — especially in older neighborhoods within Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and smaller cities where infrastructure predates modern lead material bans.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Primarily public water systems serving older housing stock; lead solder and service line concerns vary by city and neighborhood age.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Texas is a large state with wide variation in water system age and water chemistry. Older urban neighborhoods with pre-1986 construction have lead solder and aging service connections that can leach into otherwise safe treated water.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L (EPA) — zero is the only safe level per CDC |
| MCLG | Zero — no safe level of lead exposure is established |
| Primary route into water | Older service lines and lead solder in pre-1986 household plumbing |
| Older housing risk | Homes built before 1986 are most likely to contain lead-bearing plumbing materials |
| State oversight | Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) |
Why This Matters in Texas
Texas has more than 7,000 public water systems under TCEQ oversight, ranging from large metropolitan utilities to very small rural systems. Lead risk in Texas is concentrated in older neighborhoods where distribution infrastructure and household plumbing were installed before the 1986 ban on lead solder and lead-containing materials. Houston's inner loop, East End, and older Dallas and San Antonio neighborhoods have housing stock that predates modern plumbing standards. Texas does not currently have a state lead standard stricter than the federal action level of 15 µg/L.
Texas Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
City of Houston
Houston · 2,970,543 served
El Paso Water Utilities Public Service B
El Paso · 747,168 served
City of Arlington
Arlington · 413,955 served
City of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi · 318,387 served
City of Laredo
Laredo · 260,046 served
City of Garland
Garland · 248,822 served
City of Mckinney
McKinney · 224,043 served
Amarillo Municipal Water System
Texas · 201,291 served
City of Georgetown
Texas · 191,639 served
North Alamo Wsc
Texas · 171,195 served
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older Texas cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Children under six, pregnant residents, and anyone living in a home built before 1986 face the highest risk. Renters in older properties often cannot determine the plumbing materials used in their building.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in Texas
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Texas utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)-certified lab. Your state health department or Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
Texas State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.
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