Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in MCALLEN, Texas
Tap water in MCALLEN, Texas receives a grade of F (57/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY. The most significant water quality concerns are: Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Dibromoacetic acid significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in MCALLEN's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving MCALLEN.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 2.25 ppb, 563x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Dibromoacetic acid significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernDibromoacetic acid detected at 10.4 ppb, 347x above the EWG health guideline of 0.03 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 20.4 ppb, 339x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY (system ID TX1080006) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions | Missed reporting | 07/02/2025 | Open |
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 MCALLEN
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in MCALLEN's water supply.
Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)
$429-$599Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
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 MCALLEN'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
2.25 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 563× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
10.4 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 347× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
20.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 339× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
41.6 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 278× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.05 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 252× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
15.4 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 154× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
12.9 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 129× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.02 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 84× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
21.6 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 43× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.96 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 15× over |
| Chlorite Disinfection byproduct |
316.7 ppb | 50.0 | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | 6.3× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
1.48 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.7× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
1.52 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 3.5× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.327 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.3× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
444.7 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.1× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.19 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.4× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0074 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
9.06 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
3.92 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.047 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
80.5 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
91.3 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
3.6 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.67 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Bromochloromethane Other |
0.00326 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
2.15 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
5.94 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
1.69 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Cyanide Inorganic |
63.3 ppb | — | 200.0 | 50 | 70 | 150 | — | Fails EU |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.607 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.0875 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Hexadecanoic acid Other |
7.23 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
43.5 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Octadecanoic acid Other |
5.9 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 MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY.