Forest WSC
What EPA’s and Texas’s records show in this utility’s water: nitrate, arsenic and other regulated chemicals; lead and copper; and violations since 2016, with the certification that handles each result.
- Serves
- 651 people
- Connections
- 217
- Water source
- Groundwater
- Based in
- Wells, TX
- County
- Cherokee
- Owner
- Local government
The short answer
2 results are above EPA’s legal limit, and 1 more is above the health goal. The worst: Haloacetic acids (HAA5), above the legal limit. 98 health-based violations since 2016.
What handles itWhat was found
Lead and copper: EPA SDWIS monitoring periods ending 1994 to 2026.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, chromium (total) and uranium: Texas’s own results, samples taken from March 23, 2020 to May 19, 2026, with EPA’s 2012 to 2019 file for earlier years.
Above the legal limit2
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Forms or is added in treatment
127ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 42.3 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 127 ppb, in 2022, about twice EPA’s legal limit of 60 ppb. Its highest single sample was 322 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its four samples averaged 42.3 ppb. EPA recorded violations for haloacetic acids (HAA5) at this utility in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 119 ppb, in 2014, and EPA recorded violations in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Forms or is added in treatment
118ppb
Highest yearly average, 2020 to 2026
2026 average: 108 ppb
Averaged by year, the highest was 118 ppb, in 2024, above EPA’s legal limit of 80 ppb. Its highest single sample was 283 ppb. In 2026, the latest year on file, its four samples averaged 108 ppb, above the limit. EPA recorded violations for total trihalomethanes (TTHM) at this utility in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 109 ppb, in 2014, and EPA recorded violations in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction”
Above the health goal1
Lead
Comes from pipes, often your own
1.1ppb
90th percentile, 2026
In the latest period, 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below 1.1 ppb, below EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. The action level drops to 10 ppb on Nov. 1, 2027. EPA’s health goal for lead is zero.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Lead Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Lead Reduction”
Below EPA’s limits2
Fluoride
Forms or is added in treatment
1.1ppm
Highest yearly average, 2021 to 2024
Averaged by year, the highest was 1.1 ppm, in 2024, below EPA’s legal limit of 4.0 ppm. That was also the latest year on file. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest yearly average of 1.2 ppm, in 2012.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Fluoride Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Fluoride”
Nitrate
Comes from the source
0.047ppm
Highest sample; found in 6 of 7
2026, one sample: 0.04 ppm
The highest sample, in 2021, was 0.047 ppm, below EPA’s legal limit of 10 ppm. In 2026, the latest year on file, its one sample was 0.04 ppm. Earlier, from 2012 to 2019, EPA’s file shows a highest sample of 0.049 ppm, in 2015.
What handles it
- NSF/ANSI 58 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite Reduction”
- NSF/ANSI 53 look for “Nitrate/Nitrite (30 ppm challenge)”
3 compounds tested and not foundBelow the reporting level in every sample. Not found is not the same as zero.
- Arsenic
- Chromium (total)
- Uranium
What handles it
A certification covers specific claims, not a whole standard. Look for these claims on the certifier’s listing, not the box. Wording varies a little: NSF writes “Lead Reduction,” WQA just “Lead.”
- NSF/ANSI 53
Claims: Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction, Lead Reduction
For: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
Other certifiers’ wording: VOC Reduction
- NSF/ANSI 58
Claims: Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Reduction, Lead Reduction
For: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
At the tap, or for the whole house?
Lead and copper usually come from pipes and fixtures inside or near your home. A whole-house system sits where water enters, so it cannot catch what your own plumbing adds after it. For those, the filter that counts is the one at the tap. How whole-house systems compare.
Filters with those claims on a certifier’s listing
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
Aquasana Clean Water Machine (AQ-CWM2)
Countertop
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
Brita Hub Countertop Water Filter System (87340)
Countertop
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
Ninja HydraSense Countertop Water Filtration System (WF1001)
Countertop
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
PUR PLUS Faucet Filtration System, Horizontal (PFM400H)
Faucet mount
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
Brita Elite Water Filter Faucet System (SAFF-100/FF-100)
Faucet mount
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 | 0.072 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026 | 0.08 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 | 0.093 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2025 | 0.095 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024 | 0.13 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024 | 0.099 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024 | 0.12 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024 | 0.091 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 | 0.087 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2023 | 0.15 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2023 | 0.14 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 | 0.14 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 | 0.14 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 | 0.16 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 | 0.15 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 | 0.16 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 | 0.094 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 | 0.15 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 | 0.091 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022 | 0.11 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022 | 0.1 MG/L | Archived |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 | 0.1 MG/L | Resolved |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 | 0.096 MG/L | Archived |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 | 0.091 MG/L | Archived |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 241 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report can’t tell you
Everything else. Haloacetic acids (HAA5), total trihalomethanes (TTHM), fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, chromium (total) and uranium results here are Texas’s own from 2020 on, with EPA’s national file for 2012 to 2019. Forest WSC’s own annual report, which it must send you every year, has the contaminants this page does not show.
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.
What it means for your health. This page reports what the records show and EPA’s limits and goals; it is not medical advice. If you are worried about a health effect, talk to a doctor or your local health department.
Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q3; UCMR 5 didn’t sample this utility; Texas’s results run from March 23, 2020 to May 19, 2026.
Testing your own tap
The 3 labs Texas certifies closest to the area Forest WSC serves, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Eastex Environmental Lab, Inc.-Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, TX · about 29 miles
Certified for bacteria
Analytical Environmental Labs
Tyler, TX · about 50 miles
Certified for bacteria
Southern Petroleum Laboratories (SPL), Inc. (FKA Ana-Lab Corporation)
Kilgore, TX · about 57 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper
Texas Well Owner Network, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Well Informed screening events, where well owners bring in water samples to be screened for common contaminants, followed by an hour-long session explaining the results. Upcoming events are on the network's calendar. Trainings, Texas Well Owner Network.
All 80 certified labs for TexasSources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Oct. 15, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q3
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Drinking Water Viewer, results from Jan. 7, 2020 to Oct. 6, 2026, read Oct. 16, 2026
- EPA Six-Year Review 4 compliance monitoring data, 2012 to 2019, file of Feb. 5, 2024
- Certified labs: TCEQ, drinking water laboratories approved for public water system samples, read Oct. 10, 2026; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
PWSID TX0370019. Rebuilt from EPA data on Oct. 18, 2026.
Towns it serves
Also in Cherokee County
- City of Jacksonville14,420
- North Cherokee WSC6,951
- Maydelle WSC795
- City of Reklaw660
- Rusk Rural WSC US 69 Plant648
- New Concord WSC558
What to do next
- Read up on the 3 results above a lineWhat each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.Start with Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Get the utility’s own reportForest WSC must send you a water quality report every year. It covers contaminants this page does not show.How to read it
- Test your own tap for leadYour service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.Lead in your water: what to do
- Compare certified filtersWhat the filters certified for these results cost over five years, cartridges included.Compare five-year costs