Is Fort Worth, TX Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Where Does Fort Worth Get Its Water?

Fort Worth, TX is served by a network of 19 water systems covering 42 ZIP codes in Tarrant and surrounding counties. The primary provider is the City of Fort Worth's water utility, along with neighboring systems including Benbrook Water Authority, the cities of Everman, Forest Hill, Haltom City, Keller, Lake Worth, Richland Hills, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Watauga, and White Settlement, among others. These utilities collectively supply tap water to residents across the broader Fort Worth area.

The City of Fort Worth operates several recognizable treatment plants. Eagle Mountain Water Treatment Plant, North Holly Water Treatment Plant, South Holly Water Treatment Plant, Rolling Hills Water Treatment Plant, and the Northeast Plant are the major facilities documented in EPA records. Together they treat water before it reaches your tap.

Smaller surrounding utilities, including those serving Aledo, Willow Park, and Johnson County, draw on connections to Fort Worth or operate their own well sources. This distributed network means your specific water provider depends on which part of the area you live in.

How Is Fort Worth Tap Water Treated?

Water in the Fort Worth area goes through a multi-step treatment process. Common steps across the system include coagulation and flocculation to remove particles, filtration, granular activated carbon to reduce organic compounds and some contaminants, and membrane filtration at some facilities. Biological treatment and other adsorption steps are also documented across parts of the system.

Disinfection across the system uses a combination of methods including free chlorine, chloramines, ozone, and chlorine dioxide, depending on the facility. These disinfectants kill bacteria and viruses, which is why tap water in Fort Worth is generally considered microbiologically safe. A small residual disinfectant remains in the water as it travels through pipes to your home.

Some of the smaller utilities in the network rely on groundwater from wells rather than surface water treatment plants. Those sources go through their own treatment steps before reaching customers.

What's in Fort Worth Tap Water?

The most significant finding in recent EPA testing is PFHxS, a type of PFAS chemical, detected at a peak of 0.0192 micrograms per liter. EPA's enforceable maximum contaminant level for PFHxS is 0.004 micrograms per liter, meaning the highest measured sample ran nearly five times above that federal limit. PFHxS detections were found across 28 of the 42 ZIP codes in this dataset.

Four other PFAS compounds were also detected. PFOS reached a peak of 0.007 micrograms per liter, PFHxA reached 0.0084 micrograms per liter, and PFBA reached 0.0073 micrograms per liter. None of these three exceeded their respective EPA limits in the samples collected, but their presence confirms PFAS contamination is widespread across the Fort Worth service area. Lithium was also detected at up to 68.6 micrograms per liter, compared to EPA's non-regulatory health reference level of 10 micrograms per liter. No enforceable federal maximum contaminant level for lithium in drinking water currently exists.

PFAS chemicals are industrial and consumer-product compounds that persist in the environment and accumulate in the body over time. Their presence in drinking water is a national issue, and sources near Fort Worth may include historical industrial activity, firefighting foam used at military or airport facilities, or runoff from consumer products. Lithium in groundwater typically reflects natural geology, though industrial sources can also contribute.

Health Risk Profile for Fort Worth

PFHxS is the primary concern here. EPA set an enforceable limit of 0.004 micrograms per liter because long-term exposure to this compound has been linked to immune system effects, thyroid disruption, and other health impacts. The peak sample from Fort Worth area testing reached 0.0192 micrograms per liter, nearly five times that limit. Lithium was detected at up to 68.6 micrograms per liter, well above EPA's non-regulatory health reference level of 10 micrograms per liter, though no federal enforceable standard for lithium in drinking water currently exists.

Infants, young children, pregnant individuals, and people who are immunocompromised face the greatest risk from PFAS exposure, since these compounds can affect fetal and infant development and interfere with immune responses. If you are pregnant or have young children, the PFAS levels found here are worth discussing with your healthcare provider.

For PFAS, a certified point-of-use filter is the most practical home solution. Look for filters certified to NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis) or NSF/ANSI P473 (activated carbon blocks tested for PFAS). NSF/ANSI certification is an independent third-party label that confirms a filter actually removes what the label claims. Standard pitcher filters or basic faucet filters typically do not address PFAS unless they carry one of these specific certifications.

The science on low-level PFAS exposure is still developing, and EPA's new MCLs represent the agency's current best assessment of safe levels. For lithium, EPA's health reference level is a screening benchmark, not a legal limit, and the agency has not finalized a regulatory standard. Monitoring your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is a good way to track changes in local water quality over time.