City of Houston
EPA ID: TX1010013 · 2,970,543 people served · 97 ZIP codes
ZipCheckup's reading of EPA SDWIS for City of Houston (TX1010013): 1 past health-based violation, since resolved. City of Houston's record shows 1 remedied violation - all cleared, currently compliant, 2,970,543 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Houston Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary - Grade A
Service Area Demographics
The City of Houston serves a community with a median household income of $63,398 and an estimated 3,069,710 residents across its service area. Approximately 56% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 50% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
City of Houston's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
Wastewater Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to wastewater discharge points. Surface water sources near wastewater outfalls may face additional treatment challenges.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 69th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How City of Houston compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Fecal Coliform at 1 presence exceeds the EPA maximum of presence.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 433 detections recorded. 17 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Texas
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
City of Houston (EPA ID: TX1010013) is a community water system in Texas that serves approximately 2,970,543 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 97 ZIP codes across 12 communities.
ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: A (88/100)
This is the average Home Safety Score for 74 of 97 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.
Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.
Violation History
Status breakdown for accepted records with record years 2021-2026: 1 resolved, 0 archived, 0 addressed, and 0 unaddressed. Under this source contract, current noncompliance is the sum of addressed and unaddressed records. Archived and resolved records are excluded from current noncompliance.
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 | Fecal Coliform | Health-based | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | Microbiological | 1 | Yes |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:
| Lead Level | Exceeds Action Level | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|
| 0.005 mg/L | No | N/A |
No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by TX or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
This system serves 97 ZIP codes:
77002 · 77003 · 77004 · 77005 · 77006 77007 · 77008 · 77009 · 77010 · 77011 77012 · 77013 · 77015 · 77016 · 77017 77018 · 77019 · 77020 · 77021 · 77022 77023 · 77024 · 77025 · 77026 · 77027 77028 · 77029 · 77030 · 77031 · 77032 77033 · 77034 · 77035 · 77036 · 77037 77040 · 77041 · 77042 · 77043 · 77045 77046 · 77047 · 77048 · 77049 · 77050 77051 · 77053 · 77054 · 77055 · 77056 77057 · 77058 · 77059 · 77060 · 77061 77062 · 77063 · 77067 · 77071 · 77072 77074 · 77075 · 77076 · 77077 · 77078 77079 · 77080 · 77081 · 77082 · 77084 77085 · 77087 · 77088 · 77089 · 77091 77092 · 77093 · 77094 · 77096 · 77098 77099 · 77204 · 77336 · 77338 · 77339 77345 · 77357 · 77365 · 77396 · 77477 77478 · 77489 · 77502 · 77504 · 77505 77587 · 77598
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Houston (TX1010013) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Houston water safe to drink?
The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot shows no current noncompliance for City of Houston; its 1 accepted 2021-2026 record are resolved or archived. Historical compliance status does not establish conditions at a specific tap.
How many people does City of Houston serve?
City of Houston serves approximately 2,970,543 people across 97 ZIP codes in Texas.
Where does City of Houston get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
- #5 / 100 Highest Exposure Burden (U.S.)
- #1 / 50 Highest Exposure Burden (Texas)
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cite this page
ZipCheckup. (n.d.). City of Houston (TX): 1 Health Violation. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/tx1010013/
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title = {{City of Houston (TX): 1 Health Violation}},
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url = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/tx1010013/}
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What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
City of Houston (EPA ID: TX1010013) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.