We read 12 results from City of Big Spring’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 4 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 27,282 people · Water system ID TX1140001 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross beta (radioactivity)highest measured · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 9.5 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 50 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 3.05 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal15x the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)average · range 4.4 to 4.4 · printed as 0.0044 ppb · sampled 2023 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 6 | 4.4 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20291.1x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029. |
| Uraniumhighest measured · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 1 ppb | 0.6 ppb | 30 ppb | Above the health goal1.7x the health goal |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.11 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · listed as a violation in the report · 606 Highland · 2025 report, page 4 | 35 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| PFHxS (a PFAS)average · range 5.4 to 11.1 · printed as 0.00825 ppb · sampled 2023 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 6 | 8.25 ppt | None set | 10 ppt from 2029 | Below the legal limit |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · listed as a violation in the report · SWTP - Roy C Hester · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.32 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Lithiumaverage · range 24.9 to 24.9 · sampled 2024 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 5 | 24.9 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBA (a PFAS)average · range 11.2 to 12.2 · printed as 0.0112 ppb · sampled 2024 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 5 | 11.2 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBS (a PFAS)average · range 3.2 to 5.8 · printed as 0.0045 ppb · sampled 2023 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 5 | 4.5 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFHxA (a PFAS)average · range 4.1 to 4.1 · printed as 0.0041 ppb · sampled 2023 · Entry points · 2025 report, page 5 | 4.1 ppt | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper. 1 number we weren’t sure about is held back until a person checks.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in City of Big Spring’s water between Jun 2023 and Mar 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- PFOS4.4 pptFound in 1 of 4 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
- PFHxS11.1 pptFound in 3 of 4 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
- PFBS5.8 pptFound in 3 of 4 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
- Lithium55.4 ppbFound in 4 of 4 samples · highest resultAbove EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb (a guide, not a legal limit)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross beta (radioactivity), Uranium
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOS (a PFAS), PFOS (EPA testing)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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