What was found in El Paso'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-Nitrite | 2639.5 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 4/8 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate | 2460 µg/L 25% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 1066 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 1237 µg/L — VALLEY ACRES MHP WATER SYSTEM · 54 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 470 µg/L 36% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 588 µg/L — EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM · 11,480 people · 2017 | 8/8 | SYR4 |
| Chlorite | 414.8 µg/L 41% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 120 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Lithium | 115.8 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 2/8 | UCMR-5 |
| TTHM | 82.23 µg/L 103% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 113.56 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 8/8 | SYR4 |
| Nitrite | 90.08 µg/L 9% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 32.44 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 52.23 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 6/8 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 28.15 µg/L 47% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 39.96 µg/L — EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM · 11,480 people · 2019 | 8/8 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 26.605 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 37.815 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 7/8 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 28.105 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 33.8 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 7/8 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 11.6 µg/L 116% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 10 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 25.2 µg/L — VALLEY ACRES MHP WATER SYSTEM · 54 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 12.655 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 24.81 µg/L — VALLEY ACRES MHP WATER SYSTEM · 54 people · 2019 | 8/8 | SYR4 |
| Dichloroacetic Acid | 13.25 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 19.06 µg/L — EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM · 11,480 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 16.3 µg/L 109% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 6/8 | SYR4 |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | 11.765 pCi/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 13.38 pCi/L — QUAIL RUN MOBILE HOME PARK · 45 people · 2019 | 2/8 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 9.205 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 13.125 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 7/8 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroacetic Acid | 9.66 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 12.64 µg/L — HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI · 1,074 people · 2019 | 5/8 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 9.273 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 3/8 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 8.96 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 4/8 | SYR4 |
| Cyanide | 7.2485 µg/L 3.6% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 3/8 | SYR4 |
| Bromate | 7.04 µg/L 70% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Monochloroacetic Acid | 5.915 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 4/8 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 5.675 µg/L 5.7% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 3/8 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 5 pCi/L 33% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 2/8 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 4.3 µg/L 72% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 2/8 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 3.24 pCi/L 65% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 3.7 pCi/L — QUAIL RUN MOBILE HOME PARK · 45 people · 2016 | 3/8 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 2.4 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2.91 µg/L — EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM · 11,480 people · 2019 | 4/8 | SYR4 |
| Xylenes, Total | 1.38 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 1.11315 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Thallium, Total | 0.0403 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2019 | 1/8 | SYR4 |
| Pfba | 0.0110 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 2/8 | UCMR-5 |
| PFBS | 0.0085 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 2/8 | UCMR-5 |
| PFOS | 0.0085 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 1/8 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfpea | 0.0059 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0060 µg/L — EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM · 11,480 people · 2023 | 2/8 | UCMR-5 |
| PFHXS | 0.0055 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 1/8 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhxa | 0.0045 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025 | 2/8 | UCMR-5 |
| Lead | 0.0012 mg/L 7.7% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: EL PASO WATER UTILITIES · 747,168 people · 2025
Highest in the city: 0.0017 mg/L — RIVER VIEW ESTATES · 224 people · 2025 | 8/8 | 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 El Paso
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| EL PASO WATER UTILITIES | 747,168 |
| EAST MONTANA WATER SYSTEM | 11,480 |
| HACIENDAS DEL NORTE WATER IMPROVEMENT DI | 1,074 |
| RIVER VIEW ESTATES | 224 |
| GREEN ACRES MOBILE HOME PARK | 141 |
| SAN ISIDRO MHP | 96 |
| VALLEY ACRES MHP WATER SYSTEM | 54 |
| QUAIL RUN MOBILE HOME PARK | 45 |
Frequently asked questions about El Paso tap water
Is El Paso tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 40 contaminants in the water serving El Paso. 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 El Paso?
8 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for El Paso, Texas to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in El Paso's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in El Paso include Nitrate-Nitrite, Nitrate, Fluoride, Copper, Chlorite. 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.