Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B
EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B delivers tap water graded F (53/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 747,168 residents in EL PASO, Texas using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 915-594-5595.
Is EL PASO tap water safe to drink?
EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (53/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 747,168 residents in EL PASO, 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 pfas contamination.
Public testing data identifies 18 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Chromium (hexavalent), Bromochloroacetic acid, Bromodichloromethane, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Bromate, Trichloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Nitrate, Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Uranium, Bromoform, Nitrate and nitrite. 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 EL PASO residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 4.07 ppb, 1018x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 18.1 ppb, 301x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 21.2 ppb, 141x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Contact EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B
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 EL PASO
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
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 53/100 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 |
4.07 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 1018× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
18.1 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 301× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
21.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 141× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
2.4 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 120× over |
| Bromochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.14 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 107× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.69 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 78× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
6.98 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 70× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.88 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 63× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
5.48 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 55× over |
| Bromate Disinfection byproduct |
1.34 ppb | 0.1 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.1 | — | 13× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.31 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 13× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.31 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 12× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
4.19 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.917 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 6.6× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.33 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 6.5× over |
| Uranium Radiological |
2.46 pCi/L | 0.43 | 20.0 | 30 | 30 | 0.43 | — | 5.7× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
2.5 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.0× over |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.385 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 2.7× over |
| Vanadium Other |
9.79 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.108 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
5.92 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
28.3 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Mercury (inorganic) Heavy metal |
0.126 ppb | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1 | 6 | 1.2 | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
60.0 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
7.48 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Selenium Heavy metal |
1.12 ppb | 30.0 | 50.0 | 20 | 40 | 30 | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.0109 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorite Disinfection byproduct |
1.4 ppb | 50.0 | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.2 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.28 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Aluminum Heavy metal |
1.05 ppb | 600.0 | — | 200 | — | 600 | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.885 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
0.533 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
0.363 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
0.14 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Ethylbenzene Volatile organic compound |
0.0138 ppb | 300.0 | 700.0 | 1 | 10 | 0.15 | — | Below guideline |
| Picloram Other |
0.00744 ppb | 166.0 | 500.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Xylenes (total) Volatile organic compound |
0.0792 ppb | 1800.0 | 10000.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 4-bromo-1,2-dimethylbenzene Volatile organic compound |
1.1 ppb | — | — | 1 | 10 | 0.15 | — | Fails EU |
| Chromium (total) Heavy metal |
2.12 ppb | — | 100.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Ethanethiol Other |
0.8 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.519 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Germanium Other |
0.141 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Isooctyl alcohol Other |
1.05 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
56.6 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Oxyfluorfen Other |
0.00151 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Permethrin Other |
0.00169 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.
EL PASO WATER UTILITIES PUBLIC SERVICE B service area
This water system serves 1 community in El Paso County, Texas. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
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