Waco, TX: PFAS Found in Water - Home Safety 88/100
17 ZIP codes · 13 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Waco: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Waco's tap water quality puts it in TX's upper tier - health-based violations are rare and the compliance record is consistently above average.
How Waco Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Water Quality Map: Waco, TX
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Score Distribution
How ZIP codes in Waco score across all safety grades.
What You Should Know About Waco Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 298 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.002 mg/L.
- Estimated remediation: $1,530 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.61 - above typical levels.
Who Supplies Your Water in Waco
Residential water in Waco, TX is supplied by 3 separate utilities - not one centralized authority. Each of those providers operates under its own service territory boundary, maintains its own distribution infrastructure, and files compliance documentation with the EPA on its own timeline. Federal data counts 13 water systems in the area, with these providers collectively accounting for the dominant share of household connections.
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Overview
We track home safety data for 17 ZIP codes in Waco, Texas, covering 13 community water systems serving approximately 161,622 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 9 of 17 ZIP codes.
4 of 9 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (44%) have recorded EPA violations. 163 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Waco: A (88/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Waco water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0020 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 9 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 17 ZIP codes
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barium | Inorganic | 316 | 1 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 46 | 3 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 31 | 3 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 28 | 3 |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 20 | 2 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76705 | B | 273 | 163 | City of Bellmead |
| 76704 | B | 25 | 0 | City of Waco |
| 76708 | B | 24 | 0 | City of Waco |
| 76706 | A | 1 | 0 | City of Waco |
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76701 | A | City of Waco | 146,241 |
| 76707 | A | City of Waco | 146,241 |
| 76710 | A | City of Waco | 146,241 |
| 76711 | A | City of Waco | 146,241 |
| 76798 | A | City of Waco | 146,241 |
All ZIP Codes in Waco
- 76701 [A]
- 76702
- 76703
- 76704 [B] - 25 violations
- 76705 [B] - 273 violations ⚠
- 76706 [A] - 1 violation
- 76707 [A]
- 76708 [B] - 24 violations
- 76710 [A]
- 76711 [A]
- 76714
- 76715
- 76716
- 76795
- 76797
- 76798 [A]
- 76799
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
Health Outcomes in Waco
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Top Contaminants in Waco Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Waco Homeowners
Setting Waco remediation figures against its property market, the resulting ratio sits comfortably in the low tier - a classification that reflects the kind of household financial position where most homeowners can identify documented issues, schedule the work, and absorb the cost without it registering as a significant budget disruption.
Remediation costs in Waco are relatively low compared to home values. The $990–$2,340 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 27% below the Texas average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Waco
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Lead risk in Waco appears low overall, but individual homes may differ. Testing is the only way to confirm your water's lead content.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Waco
Historical NFIP data for Waco contains 282 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $14,773. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 90% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$1,530</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Waco, TX