The tap water in Austin, Texas, is safe to drink and consistently meets all federally mandated public health standards. The city’s water utility tests and treats the supply to ensure compliance with regulations set by state and federal agencies. While the water is safe, some residents notice differences in taste or odor, often related to the disinfection process or natural mineral content. These aesthetic issues do not indicate a failure in safety protocols but may prompt residents to seek home-based solutions.
Where Austin Water Comes From
Austin’s municipal water supply is drawn almost entirely from the Colorado River basin, a system that includes the Highland Lakes. The two primary reservoirs that supply the city are Lake Travis and Lake Austin, which are impoundments on the river itself. This surface water source means the raw water quality can fluctuate due to weather events like heavy rainfall or drought, which affects the amount of sediment and organic matter that must be treated.
The raw water is processed at three major water treatment plants operated by Austin Water: the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, the Davis Water Treatment Plant, and the Handcox Water Treatment Plant. The Davis and Ullrich plants primarily draw water from Lake Austin, while the Handcox facility sources from Lake Travis. These plants have a combined capacity to treat hundreds of millions of gallons of water daily.
The treatment process at these facilities involves coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Coagulation and flocculation cause small particles to clump together, allowing them to settle out during sedimentation. The water then passes through filters before a final disinfection step to eliminate any remaining microorganisms before distribution.
How Water Safety is Regulated and Tested
The safety of Austin’s drinking water is overseen by two main governmental bodies that set and enforce water quality rules. The federal framework is established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the state agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the EPA’s standards within Texas.
Austin Water is required to meet the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), which are the enforceable limits for contaminants in drinking water. The utility performs thousands of tests each year, with samples taken from the source water, throughout the treatment process, and across the distribution system. This extensive testing ensures the water remains safe as it travels from the plant to the customer’s tap.
The public is informed of these results annually through the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This report details the source of the water, the contaminants found, and the level of compliance with regulatory standards. Austin Water’s testing regimen includes hourly sampling and preventative maintenance checks to ensure continuous quality control.
Addressing Specific Contaminant Concerns
Common concerns for municipal water systems often revolve around heavy metals, disinfection byproducts, and water hardness. Austin Water has confirmed that its public water system is free of lead pipes on the utility’s side of the system. However, any lead or copper contamination found in tap water typically originates from a home’s internal plumbing or service lines built before 1986.
Disinfection of the water supply is achieved through the use of chlorine or chloramine, which are necessary to kill harmful bacteria and viruses. These disinfectants can react with organic matter in the source water to form byproducts, such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Austin Water must keep these byproducts below the EPA’s legal limits, though some results have shown levels above the non-enforceable health-based Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs).
Austin’s water is known for being “very hard,” a condition caused by naturally occurring, high concentrations of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is an aesthetic or quality issue, not a safety concern, but it can lead to scale buildup on fixtures and appliances. Additionally, recent testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Austin’s drinking water has shown minimal to no detectable levels, remaining below the upcoming EPA regulatory limits.
Improving Your Tap Water at Home
While Austin’s tap water is safe to drink, many residents choose to filter their water to improve taste and address specific concerns. For homes with older plumbing, a simple practice is to flush the faucet for 30 seconds to two minutes before using the water for drinking or cooking. This is especially important if the water has been sitting for several hours, as this action helps minimize the potential for lead or copper that may have leached from internal pipes.
Various filtration systems are available to address different water quality goals. Pitcher and faucet-mounted filters use activated carbon to reduce chlorine and improve taste and odor. For a more comprehensive solution, reverse osmosis (RO) systems installed under the sink can remove a wider range of contaminants, including most disinfection byproducts and heavy metals.
To combat the high level of water hardness, many homeowners opt for a water softener system. These systems use an ion exchange process to remove the calcium and magnesium minerals that cause scale buildup. Removing these minerals can prolong the life of appliances and improve the effectiveness of soaps and detergents.
Whole-house filtration systems are another option for treating water entering the home. These systems address issues such as chlorine, sediment, and trace contaminants throughout the entire house.