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Federal water data

County water report

Starr County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Starr County, Texas.

Water grade

F

Water score

22.0

State rank

#135

of 254

Health violations

76

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

4

483 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Starr County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 22.0 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

76

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

4

483 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

22.0/100

Health violations

76

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

109.9

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Starr County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Starr County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 22.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 76 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Starr County has limited coverage with 4 active monitoring sites with 483 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, major, metals. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Starr County

Water Verdict

Starr County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 22.0 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Starr County has recorded 76 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 109.9 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Starr County has a Grade F compliance record with 76 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Starr County's drinking-water compliance score is 22.0 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Texas Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. There are 4 active water-quality monitoring sites in Starr County.

Regional Context

Starr County has poorer water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 8.4 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Starr County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Starr County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Starr County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Starr County

Consumer Confidence Reports (TX)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Texas

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

4

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

483

483 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, Metals
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

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Annual Total

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Monthly

$47

Water Bill

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Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Starr County:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Starr County, Texas?
Starr County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 22.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 76 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Starr County?
Starr County has 76 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Starr County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 483 measurements from 4 monitoring sites in Starr County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Major, Metals, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
How does Starr County water compare to the Texas average?
Starr County's SDWIS water quality score of 22.0/100 is lower than the Texas state average of 30.4. The average water quality grade across Texas is F, based on data from 254 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Starr County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Starr County has a water quality grade of F (22.0/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Starr County have so many water violations?
Starr County has 76 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Starr County rank for water quality in Texas?
Starr County ranks #135 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 22.0/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Jack County

Texas

F

21.9

Water score

Bosque County

Texas

F

21.8

Water score

Childress County

Texas

F

22.3

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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