What was found in Brownsville's water
The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Suppliers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 787.5 µg/L 7.9% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 602.5 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Chlorite | 572 µg/L 57% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 319.7 µg/L 25% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 539.4 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Cyanide | 153.5 µg/L 77% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 156.5 µg/L — SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2017 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 118.15 µg/L 5.9% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 80 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Highest in the city: SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2014 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 61.92 µg/L 77% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Nitrite | 57.5 µg/L 5.8% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2013
Highest in the city: 60 µg/L — SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2014 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 51.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 21.06 µg/L 35% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 21.54 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 19.6 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 18.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 19.08 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 5.63 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 14.4 µg/L — SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 14.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 10.35 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 12.85 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 8.7 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 8.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 8.15 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 7.44 pCi/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2017 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 3.83 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.59 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 2.85 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 4.393 µg/L — SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 3.0525 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2018
Highest in the city: 4.3705 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2019 | 3/4 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 3.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 2/4 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 1.475 pCi/L 30% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2018 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 1.33 µg/L 1.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Highest in the city: SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY · 0 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Dichloromethane | 1.3 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Atrazine | 0.2000 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2019 | 1/4 | SYR4 |
| Pfpea | 0.0076 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0098 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfba | 0.0093 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOS | 0.0092 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhxa | 0.0080 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0086 µg/L — EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOA | 0.0047 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| PFHXS | 0.0044 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhpa | 0.0041 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2025 | 2/4 | UCMR-5 |
| PFBS | 0.0030 µg/L No EPA limit set Highest in the city: EL JARDIN WSC · 9,423 people · 2025 | 1/4 | UCMR-5 |
| Lead | 0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD · 201,249 people · 2024 | 3/4 | LCR |
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the
system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a
violation.
Formal violations are listed separately.
These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide
average. A detection means the lab measured the
substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source
tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.
Water suppliers serving Brownsville
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD | 201,249 |
| EL JARDIN WSC | 9,423 |
| STARBASE WATER SYSTEM | 743 |
| SOUTHMOST REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY | 0 |
Frequently asked questions about Brownsville tap water
Is Brownsville tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 37 contaminants in the water serving Brownsville. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.
How many water suppliers serve Brownsville?
4 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Brownsville, Texas to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Brownsville's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Brownsville include Nitrate, Fluoride, Chlorite, Copper, Cyanide. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.