Community Water System · PWS TX1170007
Panhandle Utility
Fritch, Texas 79036-1496 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 100 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 100
- People served
- 230
- EPA violations
- 3
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 230 drinking-water violations at Panhandle Utility, 1% of them health-based - above the Texas per-system average.
- 230
- Total EPA violations on record
- 1%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 100
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Panhandle Utility
Panhandle Utility is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 100 residents in Fritch, Texas (Hutchinson County) through 60 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 230 total violations for this system , of which 3 (1%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 204 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Nitrate, recorded in 9 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.
Across Texas, EPA tracks 7,351 public water systems serving 33,253,313 people, with 746,210 cumulative violations and 162,945 health-based violations on record. About 90% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 101.5 violations. Statewide, 610 of 1,147 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (53.2%).
Panhandle Utility's 230 violations sit above the Texas average.
All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Private
- Connections
- 60
- County
- Hutchinson
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 0
- Monitoring Violations
- 204
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 3
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | MR | 9 | 2008 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Xylenes, Total | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Vinyl chloride | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Toluene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Styrene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Trichloroethylene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| CHLOROBENZENE | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Benzene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Chlorine | MR | 5 | 2025 |
| Ethylbenzene | MR | 5 | 2002 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 4 | 2022 |
| Arsenic | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Barium | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Cadmium | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Chromium | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Mercury | MR | 3 | 2002 |
| Beryllium, Total | MR | 3 | 2002 |
Verify This Water System
The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Panhandle Utility.
EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:
View PWS ID TX1170007 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Texas Drinking Water Authority
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) - Drinking Water Watch is the primacy agency that licenses and inspects Panhandle Utility under EPA-delegated authority.
Open TX regulator portalSource: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) - Drinking Water Watch
Violation Timeline
Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.
| Year (latest) | Contaminant | Category | Count | EPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Chlorine | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 0999 |
| 2025 | Public Notice | Other | 1 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 7500 |
| 2024 | LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS | TT | 3 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 5200 |
| 2024 | LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS | RPT | 3 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 5200 |
| 2022 | Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 4 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 5000 |
| 2012 | Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 2 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 7000 |
| 2008 | Nitrate | MR | 9 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 1040 |
| 2006 | Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 1 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2456 |
| 2006 | TTHM | MR | 1 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2950 |
| 2005 | Fluoride | MR | 3 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 1025 |
| 2002 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2380 |
| 2002 | Xylenes, Total | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2955 |
| 2002 | DICHLOROMETHANE | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2964 |
| 2002 | o-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2968 |
| 2002 | p-Dichlorobenzene | MR | 5 | SDWIS / TX1170007 / 2969 |
How Panhandle Utility Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Panhandle Utility | Texas avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 230 | 101.5 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 3 | 22.2 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 53.2% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 100 | 4,524 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 7,351 regulated public water systems in Texas.
Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
| Contaminant | Federal MCL / Action Level | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) | Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique |
| Arsenic | 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) | Health-based MCL since 2006 |
| Total Coliform | Treatment technique (RTCR) | Indicator organism, monitoring trigger |
| PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) | 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) | Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026) |
| Nitrate (as N) | 10 mg/L | Acute health risk for infants |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panhandle Utility water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Panhandle Utility serve? ▼
What type of violations does Panhandle Utility have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Panhandle Utility water? ▼
What water source does Panhandle Utility use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.