Bell County Water Quality: 5 Cities Ranked by the Records
Bell County, Texas: 5 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
LithiumDetected in 2 systems of 5 tested10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest20.6 µg/L
- CITY OF KILLEEN20.6 µg/LSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSC14.2 µg/LSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
- CITY OF BELTONNot detected · below 9.0 µg/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-02-01
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detected · below 9.0 µg/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2023-12-18
- CITY OF TEMPLENot detected · below 9.0 µg/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2023-10-10
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 1 system of 5 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest4.9 ng/L
- CITY OF TEMPLE4.9 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF BELTONNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- CITY OF KILLEENNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSCNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 3 systems of 5 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest4.8 ng/L
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS4.8 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- CITY OF TEMPLE4.7 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF BELTON3.7 ng/LSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF KILLEENNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSCNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 5 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest5.26 µg/L
- SALADO WSC5.26 µg/LMonitoring period: 2021–2023
- CITY OF KILLEEN1 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- CITY OF BELTONNot detectedMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detectedMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- CITY OF TEMPLENot detectedMonitoring period: 2023–2025
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 5 systems2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest4.2 ng/L
- CITY OF TEMPLE4.2 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF BELTON3.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS3.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- SALADO WSC3.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
- CITY OF KILLEEN3 ng/LSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 5 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest7.3 ng/L
- CITY OF TEMPLE7.3 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF BELTONNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- CITY OF KILLEENNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSCNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)Detected in 1 system of 5 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest14.2 ng/L
- SALADO WSC14.2 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
- CITY OF BELTONNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- CITY OF KILLEENNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- CITY OF TEMPLENot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 5 systemsNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest9.8 ng/L
- CITY OF BELTON9.8 ng/LSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS8 ng/LSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
- CITY OF TEMPLE7.8 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF KILLEEN7.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSC6.9 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
1 more contaminant detectedShow
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 4 systems of 5 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.5 ng/L
- CITY OF TEMPLE6.5 ng/LSample date: 2023-04-17 to 2024-03-11
- CITY OF BELTON3.8 ng/LSample date: 2023-05-15 to 2024-03-19
- CITY OF KILLEEN3.5 ng/LSample date: 2025-03-03 to 2025-12-01
- SALADO WSC3.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-01-22 to 2025-10-21
- CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTSNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-03-22 to 2024-05-16
22 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 5 systems: CITY OF BELTON, CITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS, CITY OF KILLEEN, CITY OF TEMPLE, SALADO WSC
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 5 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in TexasLargest water systems
- KilleenCITY OF KILLEEN · TX0140006161,027 served
- TempleCITY OF TEMPLE · TX014000594,935 served
- Harker HeightsCITY OF HARKER HEIGHTS · TX014002335,957 served
- BeltonCITY OF BELTON · TX014000223,054 served
- SaladoSALADO WSC · TX014003511,460 served
Frequently asked
How does Bell County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 5 cities in Bell County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Killeen's main water system: CITY OF KILLEEN · PWSID TX0140006 · Purity Score 99 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Bell County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
1 of 5 Bell County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Temple (PFOS 4.9 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 5.
Is there lead in Bell County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 5 Bell County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
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