San Patricio County, Texas: drinking water report. San Patricio County on the Texas Gulf Coast has a population of about 71,000, with Sinton as the county…
San Patricio County on the Texas Gulf Coast has a population of about 71,000, with Sinton as the county seat and Portland as the largest city. The county draws water from Lake Corpus Christi and the Nueces River, supplemented by groundwater. The county's Ingleside and Portland areas host a major petrochemical corridor, including one of the largest desalination plants in Texas and multiple chemical manufacturing facilities. The proximity of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi adds a military dimension.
The petrochemical corridor along the ship channel introduces industrial discharge to the coastal environment. According to the TCEQ's 2024 emissions inventory, the San Patricio County industrial zone includes facilities handling ethylene, propylene, and other feedstock chemicals that can produce wastewater containing PFAS and other persistent compounds.
The EPA's UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in the Portland and Ingleside water systems. NAS Corpus Christi, which straddles the county line, has confirmed AFFF use. A 2024 TCEQ report found one system in the county with disinfection byproduct levels approaching 75% of the MCL during summer – a margin that leaves little room for seasonal variation.
The combination of petrochemical industry and military operations makes San Patricio County a place where water monitoring matters. Industrial air emissions can also deposit contaminants into surface water sources through rainfall.
Check your water for the latest data on your system. For PFAS and industrial contaminants, reverse osmosis is the broadest household solution. Our water filter guide covers systems for industrial-area water. Pull your detailed report for trends, and visit our Texas page for statewide context.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover San Patricio County, TX.
The EPA places San Patricio County, TX in Zone 3 - the EPA's lowest-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level below 2 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.
49% of homes in San Patricio County, TX were built before 1980, and 8% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in San Patricio County, TX averages 8.9 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.
How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide