Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in BROWNSVILLE, Texas
Tap water in BROWNSVILLE, Texas receives a grade of D (64/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Bromochloroacetic acid significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in BROWNSVILLE's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving BROWNSVILLE.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 27.2 ppb, 454x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 1.22 ppb, 304x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Bromochloroacetic acid significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernBromochloroacetic acid detected at 4.87 ppb, 243x above the EWG health guideline of 0.02 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD (system ID TX0310001) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Recommended filters for BROWNSVILLE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in BROWNSVILLE's 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.
All contaminants detected in BROWNSVILLE'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 (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
27.2 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 454× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
1.22 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 304× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
4.87 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 243× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
6.12 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 204× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
18.5 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 123× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
12.2 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 122× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.06 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 84× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.89 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 49× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
4.47 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 22× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.39 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 14× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.5 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
3.86 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 9.6× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
4.52 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 9.0× over |
| Chlorite Disinfection byproduct |
307.1 ppb | 50.0 | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | 6.1× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.649 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 4.6× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.21 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.5× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
156.1 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0959 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
6.74 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
92.7 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
3.23 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
2.0 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
8.82 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.241 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.52 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
1.83 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cyanide Inorganic |
76.7 ppb | — | 200.0 | 50 | 70 | 150 | — | Fails EU |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.637 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Hexadecanoic acid Other |
10.5 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
41.9 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Octadecanoic acid Other |
16.8 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, 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 BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD.