City of Odessa water quality report, rewritten
- Serves
- 123,334
- Connections
- 55,910
- Water source
- Surface water
- Based in
- Odessa, TX
- County
- Ector
- Owner
- Local government
PWSID TX0680002 · EPA data
Read this first
- Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark) was found in four of 4 samples, highest 48 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
2 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.
What was found
Highlighted: above the health goal, or EPA’s health benchmark where there is no goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample, or the action level. Every scale puts that line at its middle.
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Aug. 21, 2024 to June 16, 2025. Each blue tick on a scale is one sample where it was found.
NSF’s PFAS claims are tested to below 20 ppt. EPA’s limit is 10 ppt, and EPA says no certification yet shows a filter reaching its levels.
Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark)
Comes from the source
48ppb
Highest of 4 samples; found in four
Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
PFHxS
Comes from the source
4.9ppt
Highest of 4 samples; found in four
Detected, below the legal limit and the health goal.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Total PFAS Reduction
PFBS
Comes from the source
4.5ppt
Highest of 4 samples; found in four
Below EPA’s hazard index benchmark of 2,000 ppt. PFBS has no legal limit or health goal of its own.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53Look for: Total PFAS Reduction
Also found, with no federal limit
EPA measured these PFAS to learn how often they occur. None has a legal limit or a health goal yet.
| Compound | Highest sample | Found in | Certification claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFBA | 5.4 ppt | 1 of 4 | None covers it |
Tested and not found
Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Aug. 21, 2024 to June 16, 2025. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.
All 27 compounds tested and not found
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lead
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxA
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- PFPeA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Feb. 1, 2021 to Feb. 28, 2021 | — | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | Oct. 1, 2019 to Oct. 31, 2019 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 11 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report cannot tell you
- Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in City of Odessa’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
- Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
- Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Aug. 21, 2024 to June 16, 2025.
Other Texas utilities
- City of Houston3 million
- San Antonio Water System2.6 million
- Dallas Water Utility1.4 million
- City of Austin Water & Wastewater1.1 million
- City of Fort Worth955,900
- El Paso Water Utilities747,168
- City of Arlington413,955
- City of Corpus Christi318,387
- City of Plano292,059
- Lubbock Public Water System275,041
- City of Irving264,546
- City of Laredo260,046
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Aug. 27, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q2
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
What to do next
Read up on Lithium
What each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.
About LithiumGet the utility’s own report
City of Odessa must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.
How to read itTest your own tap for lead
Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.
Lead in your water: what to doDecide if you want a filter at all
A filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.
NSF/ANSI standards, decoded