Is Lubbock Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Having moved to Texas a decade ago, I was always warned not to drink the tap water. Back in the day, in the tundra wastelands of Wisconsin, I grew up drinking the tap water. Was it crystal clear and never had an aftertaste? Nope. But, I never got sick from it and lived to tell the tale.

I often hear about how bad the tap water is in Lubbock especially. So, how much truth is there to this claim?

Chemical detection

The City of Lubbock water officials noted, last year, that technology has improved drastically in the past couple of years that they can now identify harmful chemicals in city water better than ever before.

Mercury, lead, arsenic and other harmful contaminants are the most popular in tap water. That is until they are removed during the filtration process that also removes parasites, bacteria, germs and other chemicals.

There's also a $10-word called Polyfluoroalkyl substances, found commonly in non-stick products, which are a risk towards water purity.

Where does Lubbock tap water come from?

There are multiple sources of water that travel up to 160 miles to reach the Hub City. The largest sources are comprised of the Robert County Well Field, Lake Alan Henry, Bailey County Well Field and Lake Meredith.

An aftertaste in your tap water can be due to a variety of reasons, some may be filter-related, but others could include factors from your sink, the pipes leading to your house, or others.

All in all, the city of Lubbock assures us that the tap water is safe to consume. Will you maybe have an aftertaste and will there be small harmless traces of contaminants that passed the filtration process? Sure, but the same can also be said about bottled water.

The most recent Water Quality Report for Lubbock can be found here.