Texas

Water Quality in the State of Texas

Texas is the second largest state in the US by area and population with 28.7 million people in an area of 268,581 square miles. The State’s economy is strong and stable; the main industries are cattle, oil & gas, timber, mining and cotton. Texas has some of the hardest water in the US. In addition, the drinking water in some Texan cities has unwanted contaminants.


Water Hardness by City

When rain falls, it gathers in lakes and aquifers. Rock formations in these bodies of water begin to slowly melt and enrich the water with dissolved minerals. The greater the amount of dissolved minerals in the water, the harder it is. In Texas, the water hardness average is over 200 PPM, which ranks it as the state with the 6th hardest water in the US. While some cities have moderately soft water, like College station with 8 PPM and Waco at 41 PPM, most Texas cities struggle with hard water issues. For example, Austin’s water has 184 Parts Per Million of hardness, San Antonio water hardness is 357 PPM and Midland’s water is an extremely hard 500 PPM.

For information on water hardness levels in Texan cities with over 100,000 residents, please see table below.

City and Zip CodesWater Hardness Data

Amarillo

79101 | 79102 | 79103 | 79104 | 79105 | 79106 | 79107 | 79108 | 79109 | 79110 | 79111 | 79118 | 79119 | 79121 | 79124

248 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg

Abilene

79601 | 79602 | 79603 | 79605 | 79606 | 79699

284 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg

Allen

75002 | 75013

207 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg
 

Arlington

76001 | 76002 | 76006 | 76010 | 76011 | 76012 | 76013 | 76014 | 76015 | 76016 | 76017 | 76018 | 79119 | 79121 | 79124

 94 PPM (mg/L) or 5 gpg

Austin

78703 | 78704 | 78705 | 78712 | 78717 | 78719 | 78721 | 78722 | 78723 | 78724 | 78725 | 78726 | 78727 | 78728 | 78729 | 78730 | 78731 | 78732 | 78733 | 78734 | 78735 | 78736 | 78737 | 78738 | 78739 | 78739 | 78741 | 78742 | 78744 | 78745 | 78746 | 78747 | 78748 | 78749 | 78750 | 78751 | 78752 | 78753 | 78754 | 78756 | 78757 | 78758 | 78759

184 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg

Beaumont

77701 | 77702 | 77703 | 77705 | 77706 | 77707 | 77708 | 77713

 31 PPM (mg/L) or 2 gpg

Bedford

76021 | 76022

107 PPM (mg/L) or 6.3 gpg

Brownsville

78520 | 78521 | 78526 | 76801

 57 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg

Bryan

77801 | 77802 | 77803 | 77807 |  77808
 

8 PPM (mg/L) or 0.5 gpg

Burelson

76028

140 PPM (mg/L) or 8.2 gpg

Cedar Park

78613

 

181 PPM (mg/L) or 10.6 gpg

College Station

77840  | 77845

   8 PPM (mg/L) or 0 gpg

Conroe

77301 | 77302 | 77303 | 77304 | 77306 | 77384 | 77385
 
135 PPM (mg/L) pr 8 gpg

Corpus Christi

78401 | 78402 | 78404 | 78405 | 78406 | 78407 | 78408 | 78409 | 78410 | 78411 | 78412 | 78413 | 78414 | 78415 | 78416 | 78417 | 78418 | 78419

227 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg

Euless

76039 | 76040
57.7 PPM (mg/L) or 3.4 gpg

Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

75201 | 75202 | 75203 | 75204 | 75205 | 75206 | 75207 | 75208 | 75209 | 75210 | 75211 | 75212 | 75214 | 75215 | 75216 | 75217 | 75218 | 75219 | 75220 | 75223 | 75224 | 75225 | 75226 | 75227 | 75228 | 75229 | 75230 | 75231 | 75232 | 75233 | 75234 | 75235 | 75236 | 75237 | 75238 | 75240 | 75241 | 75243 | 75244 | 75246 | 75247 | 75248 | 75249 | 75251 | 75252 | 75253 | 75254 | 75270 | 75287 | 75390 | 76102 | 76103 | 76104 | 76105 | 76106 | 76107 | 76108 | 76109 | 76110 | 76111 | 76112 | 76114 | 76115 | 76116 | 76118 | 76119 | 76120 | 76123 | 76126 | 76129 | 76131 | 76132 | 76133 | 76134 | 76135 | 76137 | 76140 | 76148 | 76155 | 76164 | 76177 | 76179

140 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg

Frisco

75034 | 75035
146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

Galveston

77550 | 77551 | 77554

200 PPM (mg/L) or 11.7 gpg

Garland

75040 | 75041 | 75042 | 75043 | 75044

161.5 PPM (mg/L) or 9.5 gpg

Grand Prarie

75050 | 75051 | 75052 | 75054

132 PPM (mg/L) or 7.8 gpg

Grapevine

76051

135 PPM (mg/L) or 7.9 gpg

Greater Houston

77002 | 77003 | 77004 | 77005 | 77006 | 77007 | 77008 | 77009 | 77010 | 77011 | 77012 | 77013 | 77014 | 77015 | 77016 | 77017 | 77018 | 77019 | 77020 | 77021 | 77022 | 77023 | 77024 | 77025 | 77026 | 77027 | 77028 | 77029 | 77030 | 77031 | 77032 | 77033 | 77034 | 77035 | 77036 | 77037 | 77038 | 77039 | 77040 | 77041 | 77042 | 77043 | 77044 | 77045 | 77046 | 77047 | 77048 | 77049 | 77050 | 77051 | 77053 | 77054 | 77055 | 77056 | 77057 | 77058 | 77059 | 77060 | 77061 | 77062 | 77063 | 77064 | 77065 | 77066 | 77067 | 77068 | 77069 | 77070 | 77071 | 77072 | 77073 | 77074 | 77075 | 77076 | 77077 | 77078 | 77079 | 77080 | 77081 | 77082 | 77083 | 77084 | 77085 | 77086 | 77087 | 77088 | 77089 | 77090 | 77091 | 77092 | 77093 | 77094 | 77095 | 77096 | 77098 | 77099 | 77201

135 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg

Irving

75038 | 75039 | 75060 | 75061 | 75062 | 75063

 

135 PPM (mg/L) or 7.9 gpg

Keller

76244

140 PPM (mg/L) or 8.2 gpg

Killeen

76541 | 76542 | 76543 | 76549

168 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg

El Paso

79901 | 79902 | 79903 | 79904 | 79905 | 79906 | 79907 | 79908 | 79911 | 79912 | 79915 | 79920 | 79922 | 79924 | 79925 | 79927 | 79928 | 79930 | 79932 | 79934 | 79935 | 79936 | 79938 | 79942 

119 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg

Leander

78641 | 78645
 
175 PPM (mg/L) or 10.3 gpg

Lewisville

75057 | 75067 | 75077

114 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg

Little Elm

75068

146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

Longview

75601 | 75602 | 75603 | 75604 | 75605

 63 PPM (mg/L) or 4 gpg

Laredo

78040 | 78041 | 78043 | 78044 | 78045 | 78046 

260 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg

Lubbock

79401 | 79403 | 79404 | 79406 | 79407 | 79410 | 79411 | 79412 | 79413 | 79414 | 79415 | 79416 | 79423 | 79424

243 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg

Mansfield

76063

99.8 PPM (mg/L) or 5.9 gpg

Mesquite

75149 | 75150

146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

McAllen

78501 | 78503 | 78504

243 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg

Midland

79701 | 79703 | 79705 | 79706 | 79707

500 PPM (mg/L) or 30 gpg

New Baunfels

78130 | 78132

266.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

North Richland Hills

76180 | 76182
134.5 PPM (mg/L) or 7.9 gpg

Odessa

79761 | 79762 | 79763 | 79764 | 79765 | 79766

360 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg

Pflugerville

78660
118 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg

Plano

75023 | 75024 | 75025 | 75074 | 75075 | 75093 | 75094
 
146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

Richardson

75080 | 75081 | 75082

144 PPM (mg/L) or 8.4 gpg

Round Rock

78664 | 78665 | 78681

187 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg 

Rowlett

75088 | 75089

146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

Rusk

75785

224 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg

San Angelo

76901 | 76903 | 76904 | 76905

428 PPM (mg/L) or 25 gpg

San Marcos

78666

146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg

San Antonio

78201 | 78202 | 78203 | 78204 | 78205 | 78207 | 78208 | 78209 | 78210 | 78211 | 78212 | 78213 | 78214 | 78215 | 78216 | 78217 | 78218 | 78219 | 78220 | 78221 | 78222 | 78223 | 78224 | 78225 | 78226 | 78227 | 78228 | 78229 | 78230 | 78231 | 78232 | 78233 | 78235 | 78237 | 78238 | 78239 | 78240 | 78242 | 78243 | 78244 | 78245 | 78247 | 78248 | 78249 | 78250 | 78251 | 78252 | 78253 | 78254 | 78255 | 78256 | 78257 | 78258 | 78259 | 78260 | 78261 | 78263 | 78264 | 78266 | 77062 | 77063 | 77064 | 77065 | 77066 | 77067 | 77068 | 77069 | 77070 | 77071 | 77072 | 77073 | 77074 | 77075 | 77076 | 77077 | 77078 | 77079 | 77080 | 77081 | 77082 | 77083 | 77084 | 77085 | 77086 | 77087 | 77088 | 77089 | 77090 | 77091 | 77092 | 77093 | 77094 | 77095 | 77096 | 77098 | 77099 | 77201

357 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg

Sugar Land

77478 | 77479 | 77498

143 PPM (mg/L) or 8.4 gpg

Temple

76501 | 76502 | 76504 | 76508

149 PPM (mg/L) or 8.8 gpg

Texas City

77590 | 77591

200 PPM (mg/L) or 11.7 gpg

Tyler

75701 | 75702 | 75703 | 75704 | 75705 | 75706 | 75707 | 75708 | 75709
 
46 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg

Victoria

77901 | 77904 | 77905

204 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg

Waco

76701 | 76704 | 76705 | 76706 | 76707 | 76708 |  76710 | 76711 | 76798

41 PPM (mg/L) or 2 gpg

Willis

77318 | 77378

155 PPM (mg/L) or 9.7 gpg

Whitchita Falls

76301 | 76302 | 76305 | 76306 | 76308 | 76309 | 76310

50 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg

Wylie

75098

146.5 PPM (mg/L) or 8.6 gpg
DMCA.com Protection Status

PPM = Parts Per Million

mg/L = Milligrams Per Liter

gpg = Grains Per Gallon

Oil, Gas and Water Hardness

Texas has been the leading US state in oil and natural gas production since 1940. Last year, Texas garnered the highest oil production in the state’s history, generating 1.59 billion barrels of oil for the year of 2018. Many of the oil fields in Texas originate from two formations, The Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford Shale. The biggest oil cities are Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Midland. The oil and gas industry uses water in all parts of operation and that water is often locally sourced from groundwater, rivers or lakes (both natural and artificial). As Texas is a hard water state, oil and gas producers are often fighting to keep their operations running and their equipment scale free.Mining is also a major contributor to the Texas economy. The mining sector in Texas consumes significant amounts of water that can be as hard as 15,000 PPM. 

Solutions to your Water Quality Problems

Fixing your water quality issues in the state of Texas will depend on your specific water source. It is best to test your potable water supply in order to get a better understanding of your water quality. Testing is relatively cheap. The test results will allow you to understand if your potable water has issues that need to be addressed. Common solutions to water contamination problems may include a water filtration system, a reverse osmosis system, water softening system or other whole home water treatment solutions.

A problem that almost all Texas residents will have to deal with is hard water. Most residents think that a water softeneing system is their only option. That old-fashioned, inefficient, expensive and unhealthy method to treat hard water. Most people don’t realize that if you’re using a water softener you are basically removing calcium and magnesium from your drinking water and adding salt to your diet. In addition, many states are banning the use of salt-based water softeners. 

Alternative water treatment solutions such as “water conditioners” have been gaining popularity in recent years because they are cheap to operate and the best eco-friendly solution for hard water. Hydropath technology, which powers the HydroFLOW water conditioners is by far the most efficient and cost-effective eco-friendly solution to deal with hard water problems. To learn more about how HydroFLOW solves the problems created by hard water, please check out our technology page. You might want to read this blog that explains the difference between water conditioners and water softeners: Water Conditioner vs. Water Softener Blog.