Water Quality Reports

**Updated May 3, 2021 to include Houston's most recent Consumer Confidence Report.
Analies Dyjak  |  Policy Nerd

Source Of Houston Drinking Water

A majority of Houston drinking water comes from the San Jacinto River, which has a long history of pollution. Remaining source water comes from the Evangeline and Chicot Aquifers. The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey caused a Superfund site (with high levels of Dioxin) to spill into the San Jacinto River. Raw water is then purified at three surface water treatment plants and 40 groundwater treatment plants. 16 supplementary groundwater plants provide water for the remaining 5 Houston systems.

Per and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) In Houston Drinking Water

PFAS are a category of chemicals found in various non-stick/stain resistant products, as well as fire fighting foam. PFAS are considered to be "emerging contaminants" because they are not currently regulated by EPA, but are known to be toxic and persistent in the environment. Most municipalities are not required to test for, or remove, PFAS from drinking water. Elevated levels of PFAS have been identified in areas around the San Jacinto River, so it's likely in Houston tap water. Not all filters are designed to remove PFAS from drinking water. If you'd like find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State study. 

Arsenic Concentrations In Houston Drinking Water

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that is known to cause cancer and other health issues. Unlike lead, which distributes into water from plumbing, arsenic comes from the source water itself. The highest detected concentration of arsenic in Houston's main system was 8 parts per billion. While the average of 2.3 parts per billion is within EPA's regulated threshold, these levels triggered the municipality to make the following disclosure in the Consumer Confidence Report:

"Houston’s drinking water contains low levels of arsenic, but is below the state and federal action levels. EPA’s standard balances arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing it from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems."

Hydroviv strongly recommends that anyone that lives in an area with more than 1 part per billion take steps to remove arsenic from their water, especially families with children.

Lead Levels In Houston Drinking Water

Lead enters tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When lead pipes, fittings, and valves are present in a home, lead can leach into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. In the most recent data provided by the City of Houston, 10% of samples analyzed for lead in Houston are 4 parts per billion. Though the city is currently in compliance with extremely loose federal regulations, the EPA and CDC have both acknowledged that there is no safe level of lead for children. Additionally, the American Academy Of Pediatrics strongly urges any tap that produces water over 1 part per billion be addressed. Hydroviv Undersink filters are NSF/ANSI 53 certified to remove lead from drinking water.

Very High Chromium 6 Levels In Houston Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is an extremely toxic metal that is not currently regulated by the EPA. In recent years, Houston tap water has averaged 747 parts per trillion for Chromium 6. For the sake of perspective, these levels are 35 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk. Earlier this year, Dr. Eric Roy (Hydroviv's Founder) wrote a highly-cited article specifically on the high levels of chromium 6 in Houston's tap water, the original source can be viewed here.

Pesticides And Petroleum Hydrocarbons Detected In Houston's Most Recent Round Of Testing

Low levels of the herbicides atrazine and simazine (both endocrine disruptors), as well as xylenes (a petroleum based VOC) were reported in Houston's main system. 

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Houston Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not currently regulated very well, the EPA's website discloses that exposure to high levels of these chemicals is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. The levels of both categories of regulated DBPs (TTHMs and HAA5) were elevated in Houston tap water. 

Chlorine Levels In Houston Tap Water

Like most other cities in the U.S., Houston disinfects its water with chlorine to protect against waterborne illness. While not considered to be harmful on its own at levels found in tap water, people tend to find that filtering it from their water greatly enhances its taste and odor.

Still Have Questions About Houston Tap Water Or Water Quality In General?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses tap water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for Houston, but our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of contaminants found in Houston's tap water.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Houston's water, or have questions about our Houston water quality report, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook. We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on tap water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople on staff).

Please Share This Houston Water Quality Report Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

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Kezia Snipe  |  Hydroviv Research Analyst

For Hydroviv’s assessment of Scottsdale’s tap water quality, we aggregated water quality test data from Scottsdale Water, the water utility provider for Scottsdale, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes. The water filters that Hydroviv builds for people in Scottsdale are optimized with this research in mind.

Source Of Scottsdale Drinking Water

Scottsdale’s main surface water supply is from the Colorado River. This water is transported through the Central Arizona Project canal to the Scottsdale CAP Water Treatment Plant. We also receive surface water from the Salt River Project, which comes from the Verde and Salt rivers. Water is transported by SRP to the Chaparral Water Treatment Plant. In addition to these two main surface water sources, Scottsdale drinking water may also come from aquifers deep below ground. The water is pumped from the ground through one of the city’s 23 active wells and then disinfected prior to entering Scottsdale's Tap water distribution system.

Arsenic In Scottsdale Drinking Water

Arsenic is a toxic metal that is known to cause cancer and other health issues. Unlike lead, which distributes into water from plumbing, arsenic comes from the source water itself. Scottsdale's water quality is in compliance with EPA water quality standards but it’s important to mention that EPA’s standard balances the toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. The city’s most recent tap water quality report reported arsenic levels up to 6.7 parts per billion. Unfortunately the last time that arsenic testing was done in Scottsdale was 2014-2015 (Arsenic is very loosely regulated). We recommend that anyone with more than 1 part per billion take steps to remove arsenic from their water, especially if there are children in the home.

Lead In Scottsdale Drinking Water

Lead enters tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (like what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. Currently, 10% of Scottsdale's water quality samples analyzed for lead in Scottsdale tested 1.6 per billion and are currently in compliance with very lenient federal regulations but even the EPA and CDC both acknowledge that there is no safe level of lead, and federal regulations do not take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

Extremely High Chromium 6 Levels In Scottsdale Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. In recent years, Scottsdale's water quality has averaged 3500 parts per trillion for Chromium 6. For perspective, these levels are an incredibly 175 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk. These levels are among the highest chromium 6 concentrations we see in major US cities, and we highly recommend that all Scottsdale residents take steps to remove the toxic metal from their drinking water.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Scottsdale Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not currently regulated very well, the EPA's website discloses that exposure to high levels of disinfection byproducts are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Still Have Questions About Scottsdale Tap Water?

Hydrovivis a water filtration company based in DC that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that are then used to build water filters that are built specifically for Scottsdale, but our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of contaminants.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Scottsdale tap water, or just have questions about water quality in general, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook. We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople).

Please Share This Scottsdale Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

What Are The Common Problems With Reverse Osmosis Water Filters?

Emma Schultz, M.S.  |  Scientific Contributor
**Updated August 16, 2019 to include current data 

Our Water Nerds have updated our report of Santa Ana drinking water to include the most recent available data. We aggregated data from the City of Santa Ana Water Resources Division, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as our own internal data. Our team then cross references these data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes.The water filters that we sell in Santa Ana are optimized with these issues in mind.

Source of Santa Ana Drinking Water

Santa Ana tap water is a blend of 70% groundwater and 30% imported water. Water is imported via the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California from the Colorado River via Lake Havasu and snowpack runoff from Northern California’s Sierra Nevadas. All imported water is treated in Yorba Linda or La Verne before delivery to Santa Ana. Local groundwater is pumped to the surface from 20 city-owned wells. 

High Levels Of Chromium 6 In Santa Ana Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal not currently regulated by the EPA. Santa Ana tap water has recently averaged 1,010 parts per trillion for chromium 6. These levels are over 50 times higher than the concentration determined to have a negligible impact on cancer risk. For this reason, we recommend that Santa Ana residents take steps to remove chromium 6 from drinking water.

Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) Levels In Santa Ana Drinking Water

DBPs are emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants are added to water and then combine with naturally-occurring organic matter found in the water supply. While these chemicals are not yet well-regulated, the EPA has cautioned that ingesting high levels of disinfection byproducts have been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. Santa Ana’s tap water has recently had moderate levels of trihalomethanes, with an average of 37 ppb (and a maximum of 51.2 ppb), and has measured low levels of haloacetic acids as well.

Chlorine Levels In Santa Ana Drinking Water

Like most municipalities in the United States, Santa Ana adds chlorine to the water supply to protect against waterborne illness. While not considered harmful to public health, many consumers find that removing chlorine from their drinking water greatly improves the overall taste and odor. When your tap water is filtered, we expect that you will notice an immediate taste improvement.

Still Have Questions About Santa Ana Tap Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each city’s water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be “points of emphasis” to address in our filter design, so we can design and build the best water filter for Santa Ana tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, heavy metals (including lead), pharmaceuticals, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Santa Ana tap water, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook.

Please Share This Santa Ana Water Quality Report On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

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Kezia Snipe  |  Hydroviv Research Analyst
**Updated July 17, 2019 to include current data

We've updated our assessment of Dallas drinking water to include the most recent data 2019 from the Dallas Water Utilities. We also used information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We then cross reference these regulatory data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature. Hydroviv builds and sells water filters that are optimized to remove contaminants in Dallas, Texas.

Dallas Source Water

The city of Dallas uses source water entirely from surface water sources. The seven different sources include: the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and lakes Ray Roberts, Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray Hubbard, Tawakoni and Fork. As is the case with any surface water source, these lakes and rivers can become contaminated by any polluter within the watershed (e.g. gas stations, industrial sites). For those proficient with GIS, you can view the potential sources of contamination identified by the municipality and state as part of the source water assessment program.

Chromium 6 Contamination In Dallas Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is an extremely toxic metal that is not currently regulated by the EPA. In recent years, Dallas tap water has averaged 275 parts per trillion for Chromium 6. For the sake of perspective, the average level reported is roughly 13 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk.

Lead In Dallas Drinking Water

Lead can enter tap water quality through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (like what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. According to this years report, the 90th percentile value was 0 parts per billion. We encourage Dallas residents (particularly those who live in older buildings (pre-1986) to take steps to remove lead from drinking water because EPA, CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all acknowledged that there is no safe level of lead.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Dallas Tap Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Because Dallas disinfects its water with chlorine to protect against waterborne illness, it's no surprise that disinfection byproducts are present in the water. Although regulation for these chemicals is loose, and the toxicology is not yet well-understood, EPA has acknowledged that some disinfection byproducts are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Chlorine In Dallas Tap Water

Like most other large municipalities in the U.S., Dallas' water is injected with chlorine to protect against waterborne illness. While not typically considered to be harmful on its own, Hydroviv's Dallas users rave about how much better their water tastes when they use a properly designed water filter.

Still Have Questions About Dallas Tap Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each city’s water. The chemicals that we list above are what we consider to be “points of emphasis” so we can design and build the best water filter for Dallas tap water, but all of our water filters provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water (e.g. VOCs, lead, solvents, pesticides, mercury).

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Dallas tap water quality, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook.

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How Do I Filter Chromium 6 From Drinking Water?
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Analies Dyjak, M.A.  |  Hydroviv Research Analyst
**Updated May 3, 2021 to include current data

Our Water Nerds have updated our water quality assessment for San Francisco drinking water. We used the most recent 2020 test data from San Francisco Water, Power & Sewer, the city’s water provider and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, and delve into upcoming regulatory changes. The custom water filters that we offer at Hydroviv are optimized with San Francisco's water quality in mind.

Source Of San Francisco Drinking Water

San Francisco source water originates from the Tuolmne River, and is stored in the Hetch Hecthy Reservoir. Water from the Hetch Hetchy is supplemented with water from local watersheds such as the Alameda, Peninsula, San Andreas, and Pilarcitos reservoirs. Emergency supplies include Lake Eleanor, Lake Cherry and tributaries of the Lower Cherry Aqueduct, Early Intake Reservoir and Tuolumne River.

Lead In San Francisco Drinking Water

Lead enters tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (like what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. 10% of samples analyzed for lead are 6 parts per billion in San Francisco drinking water. Though in compliance with federal regulations, EPA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics all acknowledge that there is no safe level of lead for children. 

Chromium 6 In San Francisco Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. In recent years, San Francisco’s drinking and tap water has averaged 90 parts per trillion for Chromium 6. For a bit of perspective, Chromium 6 levels in San Francisco's tap water quality are 4.55 times higher than the concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In San Francisco Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. EPA regulates two categories of DBPs: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids 5 (HAA5). Although these chemicals are not currently regulated very well, EPA discloses that high levels of disinfection byproducts are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems.

Chloramine Used To Disinfect San Francisco Drinking Water

While most municipalities use chlorine as the primary disinfectant, San Francisco’s water is disinfected with chloramine (produced by mixing chlorine and ammonia). Chloramine is primarily responsible for what many customers report as the “bad taste” of tap water, and unlike chlorine does not dissipate if a container of water is left in the refrigerator overnight. Most one-size-fits-all water filters use filtration media that doesn’t do a great job removing chloramine, but the filters that we design and build at Hydroviv for San Francisco uses special filtration media that is purposefully designed to remove chloramine as well.

Still Have Questions?

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are being identified in a growing number of municipalities across the United States. San Francisco has not yet tested for PFAS, but several variations have been detected throughout the state of California. Not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from drinking water.

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for San Francisco, but all of our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of contaminants.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for San Francisco tap water, have questions about our San Francisco water quality report, or questions about water quality in general, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook. We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople).

Please Share This San Francisco Tap Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!