We read 20 results from City of Pharr’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 5 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 79,715 people · Water system ID TX1080009 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
Open this district in the water lookupCompare with your own test results, see the district map and get matched filters.
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)single sample · sampled 2023 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 6.1 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 · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 1.09 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal5.5x the health goal |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)single sample · sampled 2023 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 1.5 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Total coliform bacteriahighest month · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 1.05 % positive | 0 % positive | 5 % positive | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Uraniumsingle sample · sampled 2023 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 3.4 ppb | 0.6 ppb | 30 ppb | Above the health goal5.7x the health goal |
| Antimonysingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 1 ppb | 1 ppb | 6 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Bariumsingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.11 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chloramineaverage · range 0.5 to 4 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 4 | 3.25 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 4 | 0.06 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| Cyanidesingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 70 ppb | 150 ppb | 200 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · Distribution system (highest site) · 2025 report, page 4 | 21 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · Distribution system (highest site) · 2025 report, page 5 | 33 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridesingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 0.4 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)single sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.48 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Seleniumsingle sample · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 6 | 3.7 ppb | 30 ppb | 50 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · SWTP - 1000 South Bluebonnet St · 2025 report, page 6 | 0.14 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Dibromochloromethanehighest measured · range 4.4 to 14.7 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 5 | 14.7 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| Lithiumhighest measured · range 35.8 to 52.9 · sampled 2023 · Entry point (UCMR5) · 2025 report, page 7 | 52.9 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| Nickelsingle sample · printed as 0.0037 MG/L · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 5 | 3.7 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| PFBA (a PFAS)highest measured · range 5.44 to 11.2 · printed as 0.0112 ug/L · sampled 2023 · Entry point (UCMR5) · 2025 report, page 7 | 11.2 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.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in City of Pharr’s water between Mar 2023 and Dec 2023. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium52.9 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), Radium (combined 226 + 228), Uranium
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
Bacteria and viruses
Found: Total coliform bacteria
What removes it: UV purification (and tell your utility).
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