Drinking water quality · 2024
What's in Wichita Falls, TX tap water
14 contaminants were measured in the Wichita Falls, TX water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 1 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 14
- Over federal limit
- 1
- Approaching the limit
- 1
- Worst contaminant
- Atrazine
- Service area
- TX
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
3 PFAS compounds detected in Wichita Falls, TX
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)PFHxA
● Detected (no federal limit)PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Wichita Falls, TX's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 4 sources.
Source
- INTAKE 2 - LK ARROWHEAD
- INTAKE 1 - LK KICKAPOO
- INTAKE 3 - SECONDARY TERMINAL RS
- INTAKE 4 - LK KEMP VIA WICHITA RIVER
Treatment
- SWTP PLANT - CYPRESS 1961
- SWTP PLANT - CYPRESS 1987
- SWTP PLANT - JASPER 1951
- + 3 more
Distribution
Compliance history
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act violation & enforcement records (EPA SDWIS). A violation is a regulatory determination by the state or EPA — separate from the measured levels above.
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AtrazineA widely used agricultural herbicide that reaches water through runoff. | 0–0.1 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | At or above the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 3–3.56 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCL | Approaching the limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 1.5 pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 5 pCi/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Gross Beta Particle ActivityGross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. | 12.3Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| FluorideA mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. | 0.731 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NitriteA compound from fertilizer runoff, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits. | 0.0624 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 1 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NitrateA compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. | 0.345 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 10 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.04394 mg/L90th percentileWichita Falls Water Results | None set | Within the limit |
+By source (2)— Wichita Falls Water Results Reportable Value, Wichita Falls Water Results
| |||
| BariumA metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.031 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 2 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| NickelA metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0.0013Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptosporidium | 0Reported levelSystem-wide | 0MCLG | None detected |
| Giardia lamblia | 0Reported levelSystem-wide | 0MCLG | None detected |
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 1MaximumTotal Coliform Bacteria Highest No. of Positive | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
+By source (2)— Total Coliform Bacteria Highest No. of Positive, E. coli Bacteria Highest No. of Positive
| |||
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.9RangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Wichita Falls, TX's water
+Is Wichita Falls, TX tap water safe to drink in 2024?
The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report for the Wichita Falls, TX water utility lists 1 contaminant at or above the federal limit: Atrazine. Whether that means the water is "unsafe" depends on which contaminant, how long the exposure, and individual health factors. The table on this page shows the measured value, the federal threshold, and the regulated statistic used for compliance.
+What contaminants are in Wichita Falls, TX tap water?
14 contaminants were measured in Wichita Falls, TX's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning inorganic chemicals, metals, and microbial. 8 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Which contaminants exceed federal limits in Wichita Falls, TX tap water?
One contaminant in Wichita Falls, TX's 2024 report sits at or above the federal limit: Atrazine (33.3× the limit). The EPA enforces these limits against the regulated reporting statistic — typically a running annual average or 90th percentile — not a one-off sample spike.
+What is the worst contaminant in Wichita Falls, TX tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2024 report is Atrazine, at 33.3× the federal threshold. It belongs to the vocs & pesticides family of contaminants.
+Are any contaminants in Wichita Falls, TX tap water approaching the federal limit?
One contaminant is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: Chlorine. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Wichita Falls, TX's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Wichita Falls, TX's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.