Is Houston’s Tap Water Safe to Drink? Investigating Lead Contamination and Potential Risks

Lead contamination in drinking water is a growing concern for many Houston homeowners. While the city’s water supply meets federal safety standards, aging infrastructure and unknown service line materials can still allow lead to leach into household tap water. This article explores the sources of lead in Houston’s water, recent local updates, health risks, and practical solutions to ensure your family stays safe.

Lead exposure, even at low levels, can have severe health consequences, especially for children and pregnant women. Lead is a neurotoxin that can impair brain development, leading to learning disabilities, decreased IQ, and behavioral problems. It can also cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and other organs. Long-term exposure to lead has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. The vulnerable populations of Houston, including low-income communities and minority groups, are disproportionately affected by these health risks.

The presence of lead in Houston’s water poses a significant threat to public health, particularly for vulnerable populations. The sources of lead contamination, including aging infrastructure and industrial activities, need to be addressed urgently. By receiving a free water test, Houston residents can then take steps to ensure their drinking water is safe.

Lead typically enters drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials containing lead. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead service lines, galvanized iron pipes, brass fixtures, or plumbing solder that contains lead.

In Houston, this issue is made worse by the city’s aging water infrastructure—especially in neighborhoods like The Heights, Montrose, Third Ward, and parts of Northeast Houston, where older homes are common. In October 2024, Houston Public Works announced a new initiative under the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) to identify and replace lead service lines.

Lead isn’t usually found in source water—it typically enters tap water through corrosion in plumbing systems. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, lead solder, or brass fixtures containing lead.

Houston Public Works announced in October 2024 that over 429,000 customers received notices stating their water service line materials are unknown—highlighting the urgent need to identify and replace potential lead connections.

Even properly treated water can become contaminated as it travels through aging infrastructure, resulting in elevated lead levels in tap water samples, especially from kitchen and bathroom faucets that haven’t been used for several hours.

Homes without a lead service line may still be at risk if they contain:

Some of Houston’s neighborhoods were built more than 50 years ago and haven’t had major infrastructure upgrades—making them more susceptible to this invisible threat.authorities like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) caution that no amount of lead is safe.

Houston’s public water supply is sourced from both surface and groundwater. Primary sources include Lake Houston, Lake Livingston, and Lake Conroe, which are supplemented by groundwater treatment plants scattered across the city.

Houston Public Works manages this complex system, treating over 146 billion gallons of water each year. However, once the water leaves these treatment facilities, it may pass through private water service lines, many of which contain galvanized pipes or unknown materials that pose potential health risks.

In October 2024, the EPA awarded $198.5 million to Texas through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead pipes and reduce lead exposure in homes and schools. This coincided with the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) rollout, which:

Houston is among the cities actively working to comply with the updated regulations, including efforts to locate and publicly disclose the status of service lines across the metro area.

According to the EPA, no amount of lead exposure is safe. Prolonged exposure to lead in drinking water has been linked to:

Other contaminants found in Houston’s water—such as haloacetic acids, arsenic, and disinfection byproducts like chloramine—pose additional health concerns. These can increase the risk of cancer, skin damage, and gastrointestinal issues, particularly for people with weakened immune systems.

To reduce your risk of lead exposure, follow these best practices recommended by the EPA and Houston Public Works:

Is Houston tap water safe to drink?
Yes, the water supplied by the city meets federal standards. However, lead can still enter your water through your home’s pipes.

How do I know if my house has lead pipes?
Homes built before 1986 are most at risk. You can check pipe material where it enters your home or contact Houston Public Works.

What’s the best water filter for lead in Houston?
Reverse osmosis systems or under-sink filters certified for lead removal are highly effective.

Houston’s water supply may be clean when it leaves the treatment facility—but the pipes in your own home may be telling a different story. With many older homes and miles of unidentified service lines, lead exposure remains a real risk.

Taking simple steps—like testing your water, flushing taps, and using certified filters—can offer peace of mind and protection for your family.

The Flint Crisis was a situation where the water was improperly treated – specifically, a severe act of negligence on the part of public officials failing to add corrosion inhibitors to the water. Given the heightened sense of awareness and knowledge of the issue, another such problem is likely not in the realm of possibility.

However, that doesn’t mean all water in your home is safe. Even treated water can leach lead into its supply if your pipes or fixtures are made of lead.

The final tally on the Flint Water Crisis, which included e.coli bacteria, THMs, lead, and a Legionnaire’s disease outbreak, resulted in 6,000 to 12,000 children exposed to lead and a slew of lawsuits, investigations, resignations and criminal indictments.