Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD delivers tap water graded D (64/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 80,073 residents in HOUSTON, Texas using groundwater. The most significant water quality concerns are: Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Chromium (hexavalent) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 832-393-1000.
Is HOUSTON tap water safe to drink?
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (64/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including arsenic significantly above health guideline.
The utility serves 80,073 residents in HOUSTON, drawing from groundwater.
Public testing data identifies 10 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Chromium (hexavalent), Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromochloromethane, Bromochloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
Quick actions for HOUSTON residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 1.1 ppb, 275x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 1.93 ppb, 32x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Chromium (hexavalent) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernChromium (hexavalent) detected at 0.223 ppb, 11x above the EWG health guideline of 0.02 ppb.
Contact CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for HOUSTON
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 64/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
1.1 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 275× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
1.93 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 32× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.223 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 11× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.47 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 9.4× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
1.18 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 7.9× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.434 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 7.2× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
0.44 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 4.4× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
0.434 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.3× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0438 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.2× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.392 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.0× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
0.378 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Uranium Radiological |
0.38 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | Below guideline |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0229 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
265.7 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.025 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.0985 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
16.8 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.0129 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
2.76 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.574 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
0.65 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
9.3 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Xylenes (total) Volatile organic compound |
2.99 ppb | 1800.0 | 10000.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Ethylbenzene Volatile organic compound |
0.453 ppb | 300.0 | 700.0 | 1 | 10 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Toluene Volatile organic compound |
0.224 ppb | 150.0 | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.294 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1-Butanol Other |
0.167 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.137 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.106 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
8.04 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
CITY OF HOUSTON UD 5 - KINGWOOD service area
This water system serves 1 community in Harris County, Texas. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for HOUSTON water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.