Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
CITY OF ODESSA
CITY OF ODESSA delivers tap water graded F (54/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 123,334 residents in ODESSA, Texas using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 432-335-4104.
Is ODESSA tap water safe to drink?
CITY OF ODESSA delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (54/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 123,334 residents in ODESSA, drawing from surface water. Despite being legal under US EPA standards, this water would fail the European Union's Drinking Water Directive, primarily due to perfluorohexane sulfonate (pfhxs) significantly above health guideline.
Public testing data identifies 16 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Arsenic, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Dibromoacetic acid, Bromochloroacetic acid, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromochloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Dichloroacetic acid, Uranium, Nitrate, Chloroform, Chromium (hexavalent), Trichloroacetic 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.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for CITY OF ODESSA (system ID TX0680002) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | Missed reporting | 07/02/2025 | Resolved |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 10/01/2025 | Resolved |
| Public Notice Rule and Revised PN Rule | Other (e.g. public notice) | 11/12/2019 | Open |
| Interim and Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Missed testing or reporting | 10/01/2025 | Resolved |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for ODESSA 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 ODESSA.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernPerfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) detected at 4.7 ppt, 4700x above the EWG health guideline of 0.001 ppt.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 32.8 ppb, 546x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 1.7 ppb, 425x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Contact CITY OF ODESSA
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 ODESSA
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)
$429-$599Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.
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 54/100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) PFAS |
4.7 ppt | 0.001 | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | 4700× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
32.8 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 546× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
1.7 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 425× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
35.9 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 239× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.13 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 238× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
3.34 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 167× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
11.3 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 113× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.6 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 106× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.25 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 87× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
18.8 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 38× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.37 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.8× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
1.68 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 3.9× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.493 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 3.5× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
1.1 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.7× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0419 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.1× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.14 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.4× over |
| Vanadium Other |
8.48 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
134.3 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
7.29 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
51.0 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.16 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
3.4 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.47 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
2.63 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
3.6 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
2.23 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
0.867 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cyanide Inorganic |
116.5 ppb | — | 200.0 | 50 | 70 | 150 | — | Fails EU |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.988 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.15 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
31.0 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 ODESSA service area
This water system serves 1 community in Ector County, Texas. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for ODESSA water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.