Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Arlington?
Yes, Arlington's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Arlington has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Arlington's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Arlington's water utility, City of Arlington, had 1 non-health-based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. The last violation for Arlington was resolved on June 30, 2020. This assessment is based on the City of Arlington water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Arlington Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Arlington tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Arlington's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Arlington Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Arlington for Arlington in Texas. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
From Jan. 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020, Arlington had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Water Quality Parameter M/R which falls into the Chemicals rule code group, and the Lead and Copper Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Lead and Copper Rule.
From Aug. 1, 2015 to Aug. 31, 2015, Arlington had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Monitoring and Reporting, more specifically, the violation code was Monitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Total Coliform Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Coliform (TCR).
From March 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012, Arlington had 1 health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Treatment Technique Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) which falls into the Microbials rule code group, and the Surface Water Treatment Rules rule code family for the following contaminant code: Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Is there Lead in Arlington Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Arlington water system, City of Arlington, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.0011 mg/L of lead in Arlington water. This is 7.3% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Arlington contained more lead.
While Arlington water testing may have found 0.0011 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Arlington Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - Dallas NAS - near Arlington with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Arlington has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Arlington SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/01/2020 - 06/30/2020 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Water Quality Parameter M/R (53) | Lead and Copper Rule (350) | Lead and Copper Rule (5000) | Chemicals (300) | Lead and Copper Rule (350) |
| 08/01/2015 - 08/31/2015 | Resolved | No | Monitoring and Reporting (MR) | Monitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) (24) | Total Coliform Rule (110) | Coliform (TCR) (3100) | Microbials (100) | Total Coliform Rules (110) |
| 03/01/2012 - 03/31/2012 | Resolved | Yes | Treatment Technique Violation (TT) | Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) (44) | Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (122) | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (0300) | Microbials (100) | Surface Water Treatment Rules (120) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Arlington Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | PO BOX 90231 ARLINGTON, TX, 76004-3231 |
Existing customers can login to their City of Arlington account to pay their Arlington water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your City of Arlington bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Arlington water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Arlington water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Arlington means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Arlington. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Arlington means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Arlington. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.5 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Arlington, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
City of Arlington
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 379370
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 31
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Arsenic
- Bromate
- Bromodichloromethane
- Chloroform
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Radium%2C combined (-226 & -228)
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Other Detected Contaminants
- Aluminum
- Antimony
- Atrazine
- Barium
- Bromochloroacetic acid
- Bromoform
- Chlorodifluoromethane
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Chromium (total)
- Cyanide
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Selenium
- Simazine
- Strontium
- Trichloroacetic acid
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Arlington Tap Water
For years, Arlington residents have relied on the wonderful tap water that comes from their faucets. Even with so many contaminants and impurities in the local water, Arlington residents have maintained a healthy skepticism about municipal water treatment. Now, for the first time, many Arlington residents will get to enjoy the peace of mind and convenience of a whole house water filtration system.
The system is called Aqua valves and it works just like your old faucet. It connects to your shower head and turns the shower on and off depending on the flow of water through the valves. Depending on how much water you’re using in a given shower, the system will either turn on the main water valve or your shower valve. This means that no matter how much you’re using your shower, you can take a nice hot shower without worry and see the benefit of a whole house water filtration system.
This system does not remove chlorine, chloroform, THMs, or VOCs, but it does filter out the remaining contaminants in your water. So, if you take a nice hot shower, there is no need to worry about the damage caused by THMs to your health or the damage caused to your home. Your entire home will benefit from the improved water quality as well. You may even find that you’ll stop having such horrible migraines from using chlorinated water.
Arlington Drinking Water
Arlington drinking water has long been a source of worry for residents. This Arlington, Virginia town lies right in the heart of the Arlington Metro Area and Virginia State Capital. Recently there has been a lot of talk in the Fairfax County Schools about the quality of the city’s drinking water. There have been numerous tests performed on schools and at one time it looked like the problem was finally being solved. But, as is always the case with public relations and news reports, it just didn’t turn out that way.
Apparently, one of the most expensive solutions to the problem was not a very good one. So, what has changed? Well, it appears that instead of focusing on removing contaminants from the water, they have decided that all of the problems with Arlington’s drinking water are due to a lack of drinking water purification. It is as if they realized that the water treatment facilities were no match for the problem. Now, instead of fixing the problem, they are trying to cover their own butt by saying that we need to spend more money on drinking water purification.
Why should we even bother when you can go to your local store and pick up a simple filter for your sink or faucet? If you think that the government can’t find the money to do something about it, then why in the world would you go to them? The best way to make sure that your family is getting the purest water possible is to make sure that you take the time and expense to do it yourself. There are a number of great products on the market that will make your life a whole lot easier in this department and Arlington drinking water purification is definitely one of them.
Arlington Water Contamination
Recently, Arlington has become the center of a water contamination scandal that may have local and national repercussions. On October 4th, the Arlington Water Contamination suit was filed against the city of Arlington, Virginia. The suit claims that Arlington was negligent in its efforts to rid the city of potentially harmful wastewater. In particular, the suit claims that Arlington has been systematically dumping millions of gallons of untreated sewage water down into the Potomac River without making any modifications to its sewage treatment infrastructure. In fact, according to the suit, Arlington has been doing this for more than 20 years!
The problem? The city of Arlington has failed to make any substantial changes to their sewage treatment facility, to know for decades that this problem was going on. Until recently, the US government has been largely unwilling to step in and help resolve this problem, due to the fact that the Army Corp of Engineers owns and operates the Arlington water treatment facility.
So, what now? The answer is not really simple, but there are several things that you can do to help minimize your chances of becoming a victim of Arlington water contamination. First of all, if you live in the area, it would be a good idea to buy a home that is not on the water-way to your own house, and to find a reputable plumbing company that can install and service the plumbing in your home. Secondly, you should always call your local branch of the American Water Works Association to be sure that your local system is equipped to deal with any type of water contamination. Finally, you should never throw any kind of food into your toilet, as this acts as a catalyst for serious problems with contaminants.
Arlington Health Guidelines
If you have decided to commit yourself to live a healthier lifestyle by eating better and exercising more, you will find that you need some Arlington health guidelines to guide you in achieving your goals. It is important to keep a few things in mind when it comes to following the different recommendations that are made by the Arlington Health Department. One of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy and exercising often. By making sure that you are always eating healthy and getting regular exercise, you are making a real difference in your life and in the health of the people around you.
In order to enjoy all of the wonderful benefits that healthy living can bring, you need to make sure that you are following these guidelines regularly. Once you start to follow them, you will not only be able to see an improvement in your overall health, but you will also get a lot more enjoyment out of the many activities that you can participate in. No matter what your physical fitness level is, there are plenty of ways for you to be able to exercise in a manner that will benefit you, your family, and the community. The best part about all of this is that you will be able to enjoy all of the great benefits of living healthy while at the same time increasing the value of your home.
When you are looking for a way to get into better physical fitness, one of the best ways to do so is to simply begin with following all of the Arlington health guidelines that have been designed to help you live a healthier lifestyle. There are plenty of ways for you to be able to exercise and to work on your diet, and you won’t have to worry about whether or not you will actually be able to find a parking space in a busy city. Living healthy is about getting exercise and participating in various different forms of exercise so that you can reach the point where you can feel great and look great as well.
Arlington Water Utility
When you look at your water bill each month, it might not be the Arlington water utility company that is collecting the huge amount of money that is being billed each month. This is because more than 90 percent of all water in the United States is provided through wastewater treatment facilities. Only a small fraction of this water is used by us directly, while the rest is sent to regional water utility plants that are responsible for delivering clean water to homes and businesses. The wastewater treatment plants are very important, but they are also underfunded. Many areas in the country have budget deficits, and as a result, there are many places where the townsfolk struggle each year with how to meet the needs of their residents without cutting essential services.
If you are serviced by a public water utility company, you may be able to make a large contribution to the city’s budget. You can also ask your Arlington water utility company to help you find ways that you can reduce your usage or even have discounts for using a rain barrel instead of buying bottled water. In many cases, your local branch will be happy to help you implement these changes, and might even offer to help you train others to help reduce their own household’s water use. It is often good advice to have a few people training other household members, as the effort to reduce household usage can really begin to pay off.
Many people simply don’t know how to make changes to their lifestyles so that they can save money on their water bills. If you live in an area where your city has a budget deficit, or if you have been told that your city is having trouble meeting its water utility bills, you should take action. Contact your city councilor and find out what you can do to help your home to get better water quality. Sometimes you don’t need to look far to find companies that will assist you in making the right changes. You may be surprised by just how many companies are willing to work with you.
Arlington Water
You may not realize it, but there is more to Arlington water than just a great water source. It is a wonderful community with many fine dining, shopping, sporting goods, and other fun things to do. The capital city of Arlington is also home to the American Martial Arts Center. This is a wonderful place for people of all ages to visit. You will be able to get right in touch with your childhood memories when visiting this wonderful city in Virginia.
There are plenty of different kinds of real estate properties to buy in Arlington water. If you are looking for a residential home, you have plenty of options to choose from. From single-family homes to condos, you will be able to find one to fit the style and budget that suit you. There are also some upscale Arlington waterfront condominium properties available for sale, which make a great investment opportunity as well.
One of the best ways to find the perfect investment opportunity in your future city is to take a look at all the different real estate offerings in this wonderful region of the state. When investing in Arlington real estate, you are getting an amazing city that has a lot to offer people of all ages. Investing in Arlington water real estate is also a great way to keep your family close to home while living in an area where they can be guaranteed excellent quality schools and various other cultural attractions. The residents of Arlington enjoy a great quality of life because they are surrounded by a wonderful community that offers plenty to do and see.
Arlington Water Quality
The Arlington water treatment facility, which serves about a quarter of the state, has its own environmental management department. Because Arlington is highly populated, with a high number of residential homes and offices, there are many industrial facilities nearby that can cause adverse effects on the quality of the Arlington water supply. These environmental issues can range from plant run-off from industries to runoff from storm runoff and the city’s solid wastewater disposal system.
If you have seen the severe black stains on your drinking water glass, or if you have noticed greenish or yellow patches on your lawn, you may have reason to believe that your Arlington water quality is not at its best. You should also keep an eye out for unexplained odors, particularly after showering or washing your car. Look out for strange cloudy spots in your pond and other body of water near your house. There could be pesticides or other pollutants in your drinking water, as well as unidentified physical conditions. There are several reasons why this might be happening and it’s imperative that you contact a local water testing laboratory for detailed information about the situation.
In the summertime, when residents of the capital enjoy one of the mildest winters in the nation, there is often a great deal of rain and flooding in their city. If you live in the Arlington area, you will want to take a look at the water quality report that your city provides periodically. This will give you a clear idea of the contaminants that are currently affecting the groundwater supply, as well as what levels are safe for consumption. With a simple test, you can determine whether or not your drinking water quality meets the standards set by your city. If it does not, you should make arrangements to have your water tested to ensure that your home is safe from contaminated water.
Water Source in Arlington
With the large number of residents living in Arlington, you will find yourself asking a lot of questions about how to get a water source for your pool. The first question that comes to mind is where you are going to get your pool water from. Do you have a reliable water supply or are you going to have to buy it? Do you know which city has a good water supply and which one does not? You should definitely call your city office to find out more about water sources because this could very well determine which pool you will be able to use at your house.
If you do not have access to a reliable water source, you can always opt to get a pool pump. This will ensure that you will always have enough water no matter what happens. If you want to install your own pump, you will first need to get a permit so that you will not end up wasting water. There are restrictions about installing certain types of pumps so make sure that you are aware of these before making any decisions. If you are only interested in having a pool at home and do not intend on using it for recreation, then you can get a solar-powered pool pump that will save you money as well as energy in the long run.
If you want to know how to get a water supply to your pool, it would help if you look into all of your options. Ask the people at your city office about possible ways to obtain water. They might tell you about an alternative water source that you can use. On the other hand, you can always get a DIY guide online and learn how to get your own water. Just remember that you should be well informed about the options that you have because this could very well determine which pool you will be able to enjoy at home.
Environmental Working Group
The Arlington Environmental Working Group is an independent citizens’ advisory group that advises the Arlington citizens on matters of environmental concern. The group also takes suggestions for improving the quality of air and water in Arlington. They also offer free consultation on various environmental issues that affect residents and visitors alike. Their website offers interesting information on things that should be discussed and voted on, and they are always looking for volunteers to help with their work. If you have a passion for improving the quality of the air you breathe or the water you drink, this is an ideal volunteer opportunity for you.
In this group, you will be able to meet other people who share your interests. You will not only help yourself learn more about the environment, but you will make friends too. The members of this group truly care about making Arlington a better place, and they do everything in their power to see it happen. With a tight-knit group of environmental supporters like you, it is easy to achieve some really great things.
If you have an interest in improving Arlington’s air quality, you should not hesitate to get involved now. There is no limit to what you can do or what you can contribute. All you need to do is contact the Arlington Environmental Working Group and let them know what you are interested in. There is no cost to be a member, and you will be glad you joined them. You will be helping make the world a better place.