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 Codes | Water 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 |
 |
|
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.
