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Community Water System · PWS TX1260001

City of Alvarado

Operator location Alvarado, Texas - larger served population (> 3,309) at 6,614 people served; 141 SDWIS violations on record from surface water sources.

6,614
People served (this PWS) Larger third of systems
141
EPA violations (this PWS) Upper third of systems
6
Health-based (this PWS) Middle third by health-based share
3 PFAS
UCMR5 (this PWS) Middle third of PFAS-detected systems
Follow published updates (RSS)

City of Alvarado standing, high SDWIS violation third

6,614 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 4% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds). Population rank #6,374 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.

The verdict

City of Alvarado sits in the upper third of the sitemap cohort by violation count (141), so the tables below sample a dense compliance trail rather than a near-clean ledger. Population served is large (6,614; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 4% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 detected 3 PFAS compounds (middle-third PFAS panel (≤ 4 compounds)).

#6,374 of 29,740
Population · /systems
#639 of 3,040
Population · TX
141
Total EPA violations on record
4%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)

Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.

PFAS Detected

3 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

F
Water Safety Score
38/100
City of Alvarado

Based on EPA SDWIS violation history and UCMR5 PFAS testing only, not water taste, odor, infrastructure age, or contaminants outside the federally tracked set.

Health-based violations F
6
EPA SDWIS health-based violations on record (MCL, MRDL, treatment technique)
Monitoring & reporting violations F
135
Non-health SDWIS violations (monitoring, reporting, and other compliance)
PFAS contamination B-
0.0065 µg/L
Highest PFAS compound level detected in UCMR5 testing

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
2,464
County
Johnson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
6
Monitoring Violations
125
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 19 2012
Chlorine MR 17 2014
Public Notice Other 5 2012
Chromium MR 4 2020
Thallium, Total MR 4 2020
Selenium MR 4 2020
Beryllium, Total MR 4 2020
Cadmium MR 4 2020
Barium MR 4 2020
Arsenic MR 4 2020
Antimony, Total MR 4 2020
Mercury MR 4 2020
Lead and Copper Rule MR 3 2016
Coliform (TCR) MCL 3 2005
Atrazine MR 3 2019
Chlordane MR 3 2019
Heptachlor epoxide MR 3 2019
Benzo(a)pyrene MR 3 2019
Simazine MR 3 2019
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 3 2019
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene MR 3 2019
Methoxychlor MR 3 2019
Heptachlor MR 3 2019
Endrin MR 3 2019
Fluoride MCL 3 1983
Pentachlorophenol MR 3 2019
Toxaphene MR 3 2019
HEXACHLOROBENZENE MR 3 2019
BHC-GAMMA MR 3 2019
LASSO MR 3 2019

Violation Count vs. the National Corpus

City of Alvarado has 141 recorded EPA violations, 80% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 20% carry more. 4% of this system's own violations are health-based (6 of 141), and it ranks #6,374 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.

EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus

Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)

141 Higher than most more violations than 80% of 29,740 water systems

the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15

How many violations vs. how serious, among peer systems

City of Alvarado plotted against 29 peer public water systems (500+ people served), by total violation count (x) and the share of those violations that are health-based (y). The crosshair sits at this sample's own median on each axis. A high violation count does not automatically mean a serious record: most monitoring and reporting violations are minor, not health-based.

Violation volume vs. health-based share

30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total violations (X) and Health-based share (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Frequent and seriousRare but seriousFrequent, mostly paperworkClean record 0200400600 0%20%40%60%80%100% Total violations Health-based share Violation volume vs. health-based share Miccosukee Service Plaza-0, 0%Brazoria - Fort Bend Counties MUD 3-0, 0%Tanglewilde Thompson Place 600-2, 0%Center Water Co-5, 0%Montgomery Co RWD 12-7, 29%Spring Mills Elem School/Hvs-9, 0%Irvin Water District #6-11, 27%Great Bend Industrial Park-14, 0%Nooksack Valley Water Association-16, 31%Glen Park Village-19, 0%Camp Is-Sho-Da-22, 0%Kipling Oaks 1-25, 16%McLouth, City Of-29, 17%Hamilton-33, 0%Pine Valley Plantation-37, 24%Lake Gibson Estates-42, 2%Ticonderoga WD-47, 26%Town of Welaka-54, 0%Township of Blairstown Dpw-61, 0%McIntosh Water & Fire Pro Authority-71, 0%Sunset Ridge Water District-82, 15%South Deerfield Water Supply District-96, 16%Clarkdale Municipal Water System-114, 0%Orange Water Dept-136, 14%Mount Pleasant Water Sys #1-167, 11%Benson Culinary Improvement District-212, 1%Eureka Water Association-273, 0%City of Ballinger-372, 85%Conemaugh Twp Muni Auth-567, 1%City of Alvarado-141, 4%
30 public water systems (500+ people served), EPA SDWIS current release.

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 4 of 116 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFTrDA 8/29/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 8/29/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 8/29/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 8/29/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 6/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 6/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/19/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 6/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 6/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 6/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/19/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 6/19/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 6/19/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 6/19/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/19/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 5/6/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 5/6/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 5/6/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 5/6/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 5/6/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 5/6/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 5/6/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 5/6/2024 6.10 ppt 5.00 ppt Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 5/6/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFUnA 5/6/2024 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 5/6/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 5/6/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 5/6/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected

Population served record for City of Alvarado

EPA SDWIS lists 6,614 people served and 2,464 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.

Sources: EPA SDWIS · Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) - Drinking Water Watch

Nationwide peers

141 violations · 6,614 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.

What to do with City of Alvarado

Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.

  • See how every tracked system in Texas compares on the same EPA violation measures. Texas systems
  • Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
  • Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems

EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.