Learn about Lead in Drinking Water
The City of Pharr Water continues to meet all local, state, and federal drinking water standards and monitoring requirements for lead and other chemicals in drinking water. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Drinking Water Watch has all historical data of the chemical results tested for compliance for all Public Water Systems, including those for the City of Pharr. Additionally, the City of Pharr updates their Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) Annually on our website for public access. Lastly, when the federal bans went into effect, the City of Pharr implemented local ordinances prohibiting lead in new plumbing systems.
City of Pharr's Lead Timeline
Understanding Your Water Service Plumbing
*Property owners are responsible for identifying and replacing lead piping inside the home and along their property out to the water meter.
How Lead Gets into Drinking Water
Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.
Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.
Source: Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA
TCEQ Lead Testing in School and Child Care (LTSCC) Program
The TCEQ is offering a FREE statewide program to help eligible School administrators or childcare participants conduct voluntary sampling and analysis for lead in drinking water at their schools and childcare facilities. The City of Pharr collaborates with the TCEQ’s LTSCC Program to promote and share with our community the benefits of enrolling in this program. For more information about this program visit:
Voluntary Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality – www.tceq.texas.gov
Additional Resources
Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791 or epa.gov/safewater/lead. Check out these resources on lead poisoning prevention.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Lead in Drinking Water Information
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Lead and Copper Rule
- Code of Federal Regulations: Control of Lead and Copper
- Texas Department of State Health Services
- Lead in Water (drinktap.org)
