# Waco, TX — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Waco, TX public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/tx/waco/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/tx/waco/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 12
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 10
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloramine | Disinfectants | 2.61 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MRDL) | Within the limit |
| Bromate | Disinfection byproducts | 0–13.4 ug/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 6–24.5 ug/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 17.2–44.9 ug/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.17–0.42 mg/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 4 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 0.15–1.24 mg/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 10 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 0–0 ug/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | None detected |
| Barium | Metals | 0.041–0.0411 mg/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 2 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.123 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 1.89 ug/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 6.3 pCi/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 pCi/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Atrazine | VOCs & pesticides | 0–0 ug/L (Range) | Range of Individual Samples | 3 ug/L (MCLG) | None detected |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chloramine** — A longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. Holds disinfection further into the pipe network, but is regulated under the same residual-disinfectant cap as chlorine.
- **Bromate** — A disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. Classified as a probable human carcinogen; the EPA sets a strict maximum contaminant level.
- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Gross Beta Particle Activity** — Gross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal screening level increases cancer risk.
- **Atrazine** — A widely used agricultural herbicide that reaches water through runoff. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can affect the cardiovascular and reproductive systems.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._