Is Bear Creek, TX tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 5 utilities serving Bear Creek have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Texas’s records: West Travis County Public Utility Agency and City of Austin Water & Wastewater.
West Travis County Public Utility Agency, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.2 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Bear Creek’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
West Travis County Public Utility Agency
Texas · serves 35,664 people · about 300 in Bear Creek
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.2 ppb, above the health goal.
3 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Hays County WCID 2
Texas · serves 3,381 people · about 100 in Bear Creek
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.9 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Hays County WCID 1
Texas · serves 2,850 people · under 100 in Bear Creek
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.99 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Austin Water & Wastewater
Texas · serves 1.1 million people · under 100 in Bear Creek
1 result above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 4.8 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: moderately hard on average, 93 mg/L (5.4 grains per gallon), ranging from 70 to 126 mg/L.
5 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Reunion Ranch WCID
Texas · serves 1,326 people · under 100 in Bear Creek
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.6 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in West Travis County Public Utility Agency’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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
Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Bear Creek
The 3 labs Texas certifies closest to Bear Creek, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Aqua-Tech Laboratories, Inc.
Austin, TX · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper
Texas Department of State Health Services Laboratory Services Section
Austin, TX · about 16 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper
Integrity Testing, Inc.
Austin, TX · about 19 miles
Certified for 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 TexasZIP codes in Bear Creek
Which ZIP codes are in Bear Creek: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: TCEQ, drinking water laboratories approved for public water system samples; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Bear Creek
Other towns in Travis County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read West Travis County Public Utility Agency’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water