Howard County Water Quality
Howard County, Texas: one city report 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.
LithiumCITY OF BIG SPRING10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPA55.4 µg/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING55.4 µg/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)CITY OF BIG SPRING10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPA11.1 ng/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING11.1 ng/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)CITY OF BIG SPRING4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPA4.4 ng/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING4.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
Lead (90th percentile)CITY OF BIG SPRING15 µg/L federal action level · US EPA2.61 µg/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING2.61 µg/LMonitoring period: 2024–2026 (still open)
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)CITY OF BIG SPRING2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPA5.8 ng/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING5.8 ng/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)CITY OF BIG SPRING400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLE4.1 ng/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING4.1 ng/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)CITY OF BIG SPRINGNo federal or state limit; shown for transparency12.5 ng/L
- CITY OF BIG SPRING12.5 ng/LSample date: 2023-06-14 to 2024-03-20
24 PFAS tested, none detected in this systemShow
Tested in this system: CITY OF BIG SPRING
- 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)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 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)
- Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- 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 1 city 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
- Big SpringCITY OF BIG SPRING · TX114000127,282 served
Frequently asked
How does Howard County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 1 city in Howard 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 Big Spring's main water system: CITY OF BIG SPRING · PWSID TX1140001 · Purity Score 59 (Fair) · 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 Howard County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
1 of 1 Howard County city report had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Big Spring (PFHxS 11.1 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 1.
Is there lead in Howard County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 1 of 1 Howard 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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