Fort Worth Water Quality Guide for Residents

Maybe you’re a Fort Worth homeowner concerned about the city's recent $420M lawsuit over forever chemicals, or you’ve noticed limescale and buildup on your faucets. Whether you want to save money or protect your health - water quality impacts every aspect of your daily life. 

Our team spent the past week poring over the current Fort Worth water quality report. In addition we asked our plumbers what issues they were seeing while working on Fort Worth homes. The report shows higher than average water hardness levels, as well as an increase in chloramines in the water supply. The city’s drinking water is also contaminated with PFAS.

With the City of Fort Worth set to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to increase the city’s water supply capacity, residents run the risk of decreased water quality over the next 20 years.

Worried? Schedule a home water quality test as soon as possible to check for hard water, chloramine and PFAS in their tap water. Whole house water filter installation is proven to reduce contaminants in Texas water, and has a payback period of under 2 years.

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Fort Worth Water Quality Grade for the Big 3

Results from the 2023 Fort Worth Water Quality Report can be tough to read. Short answer: your water is extremely hard, contains a lot of chlorine, and has some serious issues with forever chemicals.

If you're not familiar with Mother's "Big 3" water contaminants, read our simple guide to understanding DFW water reports.

Here’s another downer: the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) recent Drinking Water Report classified the risk level of Fort Worth source waters as “high for most contaminants”.

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Calcium 

Hard minerals. Texas water hardness levels are the 6th highest in America. Fort Water tap water is considered “hard to extremely hard”, and regularly measures higher than the state average.

Note: Our plumbers perform on-site water hardness testing called a titration test. They regularly measure much higher than the city’s reported numbers.

Chlorine

Chloramines (disinfectants). The City of Fort Worth reports levels of chloramines at the high end of “acceptable” limits in our water.

PFAS

PFAS (forever chemicals). KERA News reported the presence of 7 forever chemicals in Fort Worth’s water supply in 2023, including PFOS and PFOA.

This 2.08 figure is an average of all 5 Fort Worth water treatment plants

PFAS Measurement is new: The EPA only finalized acceptable levels of PFAS chemicals recently. There is a 5-year implementation period before goal levels are introduced.

Fort Worth Water Hardness Ranks #6 in America

North Texas water hardness is extremely high. The Water Quality Association rates anything over 3.5 grains per gallon (GPG) as hard. Texas’ average is so high due to the presence of sedimentary rock formations. Rivers, lakes and reservoirs leach limestone (calcium carbonate), calcium and magnesium from these rocks and into the public water supply.

The TCEQ cites concerns about construction and other human activities near Fort Worth’s source water and watershed locations. These activities increase the levels of sediment and chemical contamination of the drinking water supply.

Fort Worth is sourcing more water to accommodate growth

100% of municipal water comes from surface water provided by area lakes and rivers. This includes Benbrook Lake, Lake Worth, Lake Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain Lake, Cedar Creek Lake (Reservoir), Trinity River (Clear Fork), and the Richland Chambers Reservoir.

The Fort Worth water supply has two sources —  Fort Worth Water and Tarrant Regional Water District. Together, they provide raw water, treated water and wastewater services.

Public water systems do an adequate job removing some of these hard minerals from our water — but large-scale filtration systems can only do so much. The current Fort Worth water treatment limit is 512 million gallons per day.

Here are the current hard mineral measurements of Fort Worth tap water (measured in parts per mission or ppm):

Here are the dissolved mineral and sediment amounts in the Fort Worth Water Quality Report 2023.

Disinfectant Levels in Fort Worth Drinking Water: Too High

Yes, there are disinfectants in the Fort Worth area water supply. These appear most frequently in the form of chloramines, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia used for public water disinfection.

While generally considered “safe for use”, the CDC warns that chloramines can cause health problems over long periods of time. These include skin irritation and damage to the ears, nose and throat.

Chloramines are particularly harmful to people on kidney dialysis. And that’s not surprising — these chemicals are made of a combination of chlorine and ammonia.

The current range of chloramines in Fort Worth drinking water is 0.7 to 4.4 ppm — the recommended “high range” is 4. While the average is “high but acceptable”, there are cited instances where the chloramine count in Fort Worth is over the maximum limit.

PFAS Levels in Fort Worth Water Are Cause for Concern

PFAS (or “forever chemicals”) have been used in consumer products since the 1950s. These chemicals are present in packaging, fabrics, fire-resistant materials, electronics and non-stick cookware. 

The problem? PFAS accumulate in the environment (and the human body) rather than break down. Decades’ worth of PFAS exist in our drinking water — Fort Worth’s water supply test results found 7 types of PFAS in 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires cities to install filters to remove PFAS from the water supply by the end of 2026. However, the proposed federal budget to do so isn’t enough to make that happen.

Fort Worth water director Chris Harder calls the federal budget a “drop in the bucket” compared to what is needed.

Fort Worth files $420M forever chemical lawsuit

Forever chemicals is so harmful to local water, Fort Worth recently filed a $420 million lawsuit against the Department of Defense, DuPont, 3M and other industrial manufacturers.

“We are committed to protecting our drinking water and public health; this legal action is a necessary step in that effort,” city spokesperson Reyne Telles told the Fort Worth Report.

Let's get PFAS out of your drinking water for good

The burden of getting PFAS out of Fort Worth’s public water supply will fall to homeowners — in the form of added taxes, or home water filtration systems.

The best way to ensure that forever chemicals don’t contaminate your drinking water is by installing a whole house water filtration system. Mother Modern Plumbing chooses WaterTech products for their combination of water filtration, conditioning and softening treatments.

“Fort Worth residents need to get PFAS out of their water right now,” explains Mother’s responsible master plumber Steven Smith. “The best bang for your buck is removing hard minerals, VOCs and chloramines at the same time.”

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Fort Worth to Expand Its Public Water Supply System

A recent Fort Worth Report article states that Fort Worth will spend “hundreds of millions” over the next 20 years to expand its water supply system.

In their interview with Fort Worth water department director Chris Harder, he states that Fort Worth’s growth is “a substantial challenge” for the water supply. 

These expansions to the public water system will deliver much-needed water to homeowners — over 500,000 new residents will move to Fort Worth by 2045. But how will these changes affect the overall quality of water in the city?

Water plant expansions can negatively affect water quality

Historically, the expansion of water plants in urban areas has reduced the overall quality of the city water supply. This is because the growth of water systems often outpaces the system’s ability to treat incoming wastewater and filter drinking water.

The City of Portland (Michigan) notes that “it is important to right-size the improvements to offer a cost-effective solution,” while also warning about the environmental and health risks of offering more public water without the ability to properly treat it.

The North Fort Worth Pipeline will lower water quality

The controversial Northside Fort Worth Pipeline will be completed in 2027, despite criticism from DFW residents. 

Northside III is a 54-inch water transmission main pipeline that will increase the Eagle Mountain plant water supply by roughly 35 million gallons, and will cost $100 million to complete.

Fort Worth homeowners are concerned about the impact this project will have on their water quality and the local environment — especially those in District 7 and District 10, which are directly affected by construction.

New Zealand’s Ministry of the Environment warns that creating too many artificial waterways in urban areas creates 3 water quality problems:

1. Increased sediment in our water supply
2. Addition of heavy metals to our drinking water
3. More pathogens and diseases in our tap water

Disinfectants and forever chemicals already affect Fort Worth water quality. These added concerns make it more important than ever to get your home’s water tested and consider installing a water filtration system.

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How to Improve Water Quality in Fort Worth: 3-Step Plan

The outlook for Fort Worth’s overall water quality may seem troubling. But proactive homeowners can ensure clean water in their taps and faucets with a simple 3-step plan:

1. Schedule a home water quality test
2. Create an annual water quality inspection plan
3. Install a whole house water filtration system

Schedule a Fort Worth home water quality test

Call Mother Modern Plumbing for a home water quality test. We’ll check your water for lead, chlorine, chloramines, hard minerals and heavy metals.

If we find any contaminants in your tap water, our expert DFW plumbers have multiple customized treatment solutions for your home:

• Whole house water filters for chlorine, lead, rust and forever chemicals (PFAS)
• Whole home water softeners for hard minerals and limescale
• Water conditioner systems for chlorine, chloramines, VOCs and heavy metals.

Create an annual water quality inspection plan

Work with your Fort Worth plumber to create an annual water quality inspection plan. Membership in The Pipeline club offers fantastic value towards these goals:

• One pre-scheduled annual water heater flush
• $200 annual drain cleaning coupon
• Free freshwater and sewer water leak detection test
• Guaranteed appointments within 24 hours, Monday-Friday
• 16% off all plumbing service calls
• Zero dispatch fees

All this, plus routine health scans of your home’s water supply.

Install a whole house water filtration system in Fort Worth

Fort Worth water quality is generally safe, but questions remain about PFAS and sediment levels in our drinking water. Plus, an upcoming 20-year construction plan to expand our public water system comes with greater contamination risks.

Combat these water safety issues with a whole house water filter. The best water filter products — like the WaterTech Infinity Series — also offer softening and conditioning solutions to get hard minerals and VOCs out of your pipes and your drinking water.

The best part: home water filtration saves the average homeowner $1,550 per year on plumbing repairs, improved appliance efficiency and reduced soap and detergent costs. The average payback period for a whole house water filter is under 2 years.

Ask Mother Modern Plumbing about the right whole house water filtration system for your Fort Worth house. We live and work here too — so to us, clean water means everything.

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