Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in Austin, Texas
Tap water in Austin, Texas receives a grade of C (70/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by Austin Municipal Water System. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Chromium-6 detected. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database, and Austin's published Consumer Confidence Report.
What's in Austin's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving Austin.
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic Acids (HAA5) detected at 44.4 ppb, 444x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Chromium-6 detected
Moderate concernChromium-6 detected at 0.17 ppb.
Recommended filters for Austin
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in Austin's water supply.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Chromium-6 requires reverse osmosis for reliable removal. Standard carbon filters do not address it.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in Austin's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
44.4 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 2023 | 444× over |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
22.2 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 2024 | 37× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.33 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 2022 | 24× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.216 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 2023 | 11× over |
| Lead Heavy metal |
0.7 ppb | 0 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 0.2 | 2024 | — |
| Contaminant | Detected (2024) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
22.2 ppb | 0.6 | 80 | 100 | — | — | 37× over |
| Lead Heavy metal |
0.7 ppb | 0 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 0.2 | — |
| Contaminant | Detected (2023) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
44.4 ppb | 0.1 | 60 | 60 | — | — | 444× over |
| Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.216 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | 0.02 | 11× over |
| Contaminant | Detected (2022) | EWG | EPA | EU DWD | WHO | CA PHG | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate Inorganic |
3.33 mg/L | 0.14 | 10 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | 24× over |
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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from Austin Municipal Water System.
General Contact
Water Quality Contact
For questions about contaminants or test results.