Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY
MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY delivers tap water graded D (57/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 189,957 residents in MCALLEN, Texas using surface water. 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. For questions, the utility can be reached at 956-681-1003.
Is MCALLEN tap water safe to drink?
MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (57/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including arsenic significantly above health guideline.
The utility serves 189,957 residents in MCALLEN, 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 arsenic significantly above health guideline.
Public testing data identifies 16 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Dibromoacetic acid, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromochloroacetic acid, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromochloromethane, Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Dichloroacetic acid, Chlorite, Chloroform, Uranium, Trichloroacetic acid, Chlorate, Nitrate. 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 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.
Quick actions for MCALLEN residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY.
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.
Contact MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY
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 MCALLEN
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this 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.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 57/100 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 |
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 (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
MCALLEN PUBLIC UTILITY service area
This water system serves 1 community in Hidalgo County, Texas. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for MCALLEN water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.