Austin, TX Water Quality Report
Is Austin tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Austin, Texas. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.
Quick Answers
Is Austin, TX tap water safe to drink? Austin, TX tap water meets most federal EPA limits, but PFAS compounds have been detected at an average of 0 ppt across 6 compounds. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended for sensitive populations.
What contaminants are in Austin, TX water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Austin water: PFBA (0.01 ppt), PFBS (0.01 ppt), PFHxS (0.01 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.
What filter should I use in Austin, TX? Match the filter to what's in Texas water: reverse osmosis handles PFAS, lead, and arsenic together (90%+ removal); NSF-53 certified pitchers like Clearly Filtered or ZeroWater cover taps you drink from. A standard Brita pitcher will not remove PFAS.
Austin, TX Water Quality Summary
EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Austin, TX drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 0.01 ppt across 1 water system, representing an average of 0 ppt across 6 detected compounds.
Contamination Level: LOW – Low contamination – PFAS detected but at lower levels; monitoring continues.
Top Detected Compounds
- PFBA: 0.01 ppt
- PFBS: 0.01 ppt
- PFHxS: 0.01 ppt
- PFHxA: 0 ppt
- PFOS: 0 ppt
Lead in Austin, TX Water
EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 21 lead samples for Austin water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.00257 mg/L (within the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.
EPA Violations in Austin, TX
Austin public water systems have 35 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record, including Haloacetic Acids, Nitrate, Arsenic, Total Trihalomethanes, Gross Alpha. Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.
About the Data
These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history, covering 66,000+ public water systems. Population of Austin, TX: approximately 978,908.
ZIP Codes Served
Compare Austin, TX to Other Cities
Side-by-side PFAS contamination comparisons with same-state, regional, and national peers.
What Austin, Texas Residents Should Do
- Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
- If anyone in your household is pregnant or under 5, prioritize a certified PFAS filter now and consider a home test kit
- For long-term protection, an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis system removes 94-99% of PFAS
- Read the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) your Texas utility publishes each year