Is Waco, TX tap water safe?
The short answer
4 of the 13 utilities serving Waco have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Texas’s records: City of Woodway, City of Robinson, City of Bellmead and 1 more.
City of Waco, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.6 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 Waco’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Waco
Texas · serves 146,241 people · about 82,400 in Waco
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Woodway
Texas · serves 9,383 people · about 3,000 in Waco
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 403 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
City of Robinson
Texas · serves 11,900 people · about 1,600 in Waco
1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 105 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
City of Bellmead
Texas · serves 10,664 people · about 750 in Waco
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 163 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
2 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Western Hills Water System
Texas · serves 3,048 people · about 700 in Waco
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.1 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Lacy Lakeview
Texas · serves 7,275 people · about 500 in Waco
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Chalk Bluff WSC
Texas · serves 3,852 people · about 210 in Waco
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 86.2 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
West Brazos WSC
Texas · serves 3,183 people · about 150 in Waco
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 6.5 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Texas State Technical College - Waco
Texas · serves 3,100 people · about 130 in Waco
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.8 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Gholson WSC
Texas · serves 3,903 people · about 120 in Waco
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
3 more utilities in Waco
By EPA’s estimate, each serves fewer people in Waco than those above.
- Patrick WSCserves 220 people · under 100 in Waco · no health-based violations since 2016
- Pure WSCserves 1,125 people · under 100 in Waco · no health-based violations since 2016
- Heritage Ministriesserves 165 people · under 100 in Waco · 1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Waco’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic, Lead
Water testing near Waco
The 3 labs Texas certifies closest to Waco, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Bio-Chem Lab, Inc.
West, TX · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper
Environmental Monitoring Lab
Hillsboro, TX · about 32 miles
Certified for bacteria
Aqua-Tech Laboratories, Inc.
Bryan, TX · about 72 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 TexasWhich ZIP codes are in Waco: 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 Waco
Other towns in McLennan County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Waco’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water