City of Bay City
EPA ID: TX1610001 · 18,061 people served · 4 ZIP codes
Within the EPA compliance database, City of Bay City shows 22 violations still pending resolution — a status that applies across the full service territory of approximately 18,061 people and reflects findings that have not yet cleared the federal enforcement process or received formal closure.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 4 (2021) to 4 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Bay City Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The City of Bay City serves a community with a median household income of $63,581 and an estimated 28,387 residents across its service area. Approximately 67% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 81% 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 Bay City's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 1% of homes in Matagorda County, Texas rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How City of Bay City compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Lead and Copper Rule at 14 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 1 DBP Rule at 10 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Barium at 6 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of 2 mg/L.
Surface Water Treatment Rule at 3 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Total Coliform at 2 presence exceeds the EPA maximum of presence.
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 Bay City (EPA ID: TX1610001) is a community water system in Texas that serves approximately 18,061 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 4 ZIP codes across 3 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: B (74/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 23, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| August 8, 2025 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 22, 2025 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2025 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| May 1, 2025 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| March 10, 2025 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2025 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| November 15, 2024 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| October 17, 2024 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| October 2, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| August 18, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 2, 2024 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Surface Water Treatment Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| May 6, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| April 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Resolved |
| February 17, 2024 | Lead and Copper Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Barium | Health-based | Resolved |
| January 1, 2024 | Stage 1 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Failure | 14 | No |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 10 | No |
| Barium | Inorganic | 6 | Yes |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Failure | 3 | No |
| Total Coliform | Microbiological | 2 | No |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 2 | Yes |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 1 | Yes |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | Microbiological | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77404 | 0.0026 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 77414 | 0.0026 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 77420 | 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
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: 3 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 1 additional ZIP inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Bay City (TX1610001) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Bay City water safe to drink?
City of Bay City has recorded 8 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does City of Bay City serve?
City of Bay City serves approximately 18,061 people across 4 ZIP codes in Texas.
Where does City of Bay City get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from City of Bay City Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: City of Bay City Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has completed an assessment of our source water and results indicate that some of our sources are susceptible to certain contaminants. The sampling requirements for our water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Bay City Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.
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 →
Galvanized requiring replacement identified; inventory available by contacting utility.
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
City of Bay City
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Federal compliance violations on record
These entries are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR violations section. EPA defines four broad violation categories: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Treatment Technique (TT), Monitoring & Reporting (M&R), and Public Notification (PN).
-
monitoring · Total Coliform2024-11-15 to 2025-03-21
We failed to collect all the required samples within 24 hours of learning of the total coliform positive sample. These needed to be tested for fecal indicators from all sources that were being used at the time the positive sample was collected.
Violations record from City of Bay City Consumer Confidence Report.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- Arsenic well taken offline in December 2021; treatment system planned for 2026 due to high arsenic level.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
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.
- #18 / 50 Most Unresolved Health Violations (Texas)
- #19 / 50 Highest Exposure Burden (Texas)
Frequently Asked Questions
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 Bay City (EPA ID: TX1610001) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.