The Truth About Richardson, TX Water Quality

Chances are, you’re a Richardson, Texas resident concerned about water hardness. Perhaps you’ve read articles about PFAS contamination in local water systems, and want to make sure your own drinking water is safe.

Our plumbing and research team spent the last week drilling into the City of Richardson’s annual water quality report. We spoke to a Richardson city representative about chloramines and forever chemicals, as well as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Richardson is among the 10% of Texas cities to achieve a Superior public water system rating. Their water supply exhibits lower chloramine and PFAS levels than most Dallas and Tarrant County cities. Residents should invest in a water softener to reduce hard water levels at home.

Softer water saves money. Whole house water softener installation saves the average TX homeowner $1,550 per year on plumbing repairs and cleaning supplies.

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Richardson, TX Water Quality Grade for the Big 3

Our review of water quality in Richardson, Texas started as expected: hard water, high calcium levels, and mineral scaling in pipes.

Then, the surprises came — chlorine and chloramine averages a full point below neighboring cities. Forever chemical levels lower than other DFW cities we’ve reviewed.

We dove into the numbers to determine how the City of Richardson was exceeding the water quality of its neighbors.

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

Calcium

Hard minerals. Texas ranks 6th among U.S. states in water hardness, due to large sedimentary rock formations that rest on shifting clay soil. The USGS rates Richardson’s water as hard to very hard.

The City of Richardson’s highest calcium limescale test from the 2024 report is 312 — that’s skewed very high. But its average water hardness is on par with others in the DFW Metroplex.

*This metric converts their hard water mineral levels into a CaCO3 equivalent. This is done so you can compare the overall water hardness of different cities.

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

Chlorine

Chloramines (disinfectants). Chloramines are a type of disinfectant used to reduce microorganisms and bacteria from the public water supply. These disinfectants are a combination of chlorine and ammonia. 

The average chloramine level in Richardson’s water supply was 2.63 ppm in 2024. This reflects a reasonable use of chlorine-based water disinfectants that falls below the EPA’s goal level.

PFAS

PFAS (forever chemicals). The City of Richardson took 58 water samples for forever chemical testing in 2024. They noted 2 tests for regulated PFAS and 5 tests for unregulated PFAS in drinking water, although none of these exceeded EPA thresholds.

Current available data sets for PFAS in Richardson water are incomplete. A spokesperson from the City of Richardson informed us the data will be available from the EPA in Summer 2025. They will provide us complete data points at that time.

This number is an average from 58 samples taken in 2024. This figure includes both regulated and unregulated forever chemical levels.

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

Richardson Water Hardness on Par With Neighboring Cities

Water hardness is high in Richardson, but this is no surprise. North Texas sits on a bed of sedimentary rock and clay soil. The shifting clay soil bed forces erosion of hard minerals like calcium and limescale into lakes and rivers.

This includes the source waters of the North Texas Municipal Water District — where Richardson purchases its treated water. 

Richardson’s water comes from 4 primary lake sources:

• Lake Lavon
• Lake Chapman
• Lake Texoma
• Lake Tawakoni

Hard water samples are similar to other DFW cities whose water comes from these sources.

There Is Less Chlorine in Richardson, TX Tap Water

Chlorine disinfectant levels in the City of Richardson’s water average a full point lower than adjacent towns and neighborhoods. This is good news for the plastic and rubber components in your home’s plumbing system.

“Any kind of harsh chemical that’s used to kill bacteria in the water is going to be harsh on anything plastic or rubber in your plumbing system,” explains Josh Dudley, our Master Plumber with 20+ years of DFW experience.

“That includes your gaskets, O-rings, faucets and toilets.”

Residents may notice a stronger chlorine taste in their tap water during the spring. For one month, the NTMWD switches to free chlorine disinfectant in their system. This is part of annual routine maintenance protocols.

Slight Signs of Forever Chemicals in Richardson

In 2024, 49 Texas water utilities exceeded EPA limits for 5 forever chemicals — Richardson’s water supply was not among them. 

7 of 58 tests taken in 2024 showed the presence of regulated and unregulated PFAS in drinking water. None of these tests exceeded EPA thresholds.

However, this doesn’t mean the City’s water supply is free and clear of PFAS.

The recent forever chemical lawsuits filed by Fort Worth and the Texas Attorney General show the stress and concern that PFAS cause residents in our area.

“These companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children,” said Attorney General Paxton.

Still, it’s surprising to see a Dallas County town with markedly lower PFAS concerns than other area cities. We asked our research team to look into Richardson’s “Superior” water quality rating.

City of Richardson Water Supply Achieves Superior Rating

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the environmental agency for the state of Texas. They protect the health of Texans by managing air and water quality, waste and hazardous materials.

The TCEQ developed a rating system that provides local context to national guidelines set by the EPA. Good public water systems receive an ‘Approved’ rating. Public water systems that go above and beyond minimum TCEQ requirements are rated ‘Superior’.

The City of Richardson was named a “Superior” public water system by TCEQ in 2022 and has maintained that rating through the present. Only 10% of Texas public water systems are rated as ‘Superior’.

Discover how a public water supply achieves Superior status in this quick guide.

TCEQ Superior water status requires continuous maintenance

Only 10% of all Texas public water systems achieve Superior status. Once they reach it, it’s not a guarantee that they’ll keep it.

Our research team wanted to know whether Superior ratings were permanent, or they had a fixed expiration date. We reached out to a TCEQ representative for comment — it turns out, the answer is “neither”.

A Superior rating is an ongoing recognition that a system must continuously maintain. The TCEQ monitors a city’s annual water quality reports — if any criteria fall below compliance standards, that public water supply is downgraded from Superior to Approved.

The same source water, but different water quality?

The City of Richardson, Texas purchases its treated water from the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). The NTMWD also provides water to major Dallas County towns like Frisco, Plano, Garland and Forney.

This left our plumbing team with a fascinating question: If Richardson’s source water comes from the same place as Garland, Frisco and Allen, and it’s treated by the same company, why is it better?

Our research team uncovered a surprisingly simple answer — Richardson’s water comes from a different treatment plant.

The secret weapon: treated water from Collin County

The City of Richardson purchases water from the NTMWD, like many other DFW cities. But Richardson’s location means they can get water from NTMWD’s Wylie water treatment plant in Collin County.

TCEQ’s Drinking Water Watch says that the Wylie treatment plant primarily serves Collin County — not Dallas or Tarrant County. Since the northern portion of Richardson sits in Collin County, it benefits from the better water in the Wylie plant.

Unlike other NTMWD treatment facilities, the Wylie plant also maintains a Superior rating with the TCEQ. That means Richardson gets delivered better water than most other NTMWD customers in Dallas County.

How to Improve Richardson, Texas Water Quality at Home: Your 3-Step Plan

Our water quality experts identified 3 types of Richardson, TX residents who could benefit from improved tap water in their homes:

1. Residents in older homes
2. Residents with older appliances and water heaters
3. Residents on kidney dialysis

Residents in older homes should mitigate hard water before it enters the house. Older pipes are susceptible to scaling, corrosion and pinhole leaks from exposure to hard minerals.

Older appliances and water heaters show significant decreases in efficiency when exposed to calcium limescale. Water heater scaling causes inefficient heating.

Residents on kidney dialysis must eliminate chlorine and chloramine disinfectants from the water supply. These chemicals can interfere with dialysis machines and cause a form of anemia.

Proactive homeowners can ensure clean water in their taps and faucets with a simple 3-step plan.

Schedule a Richardson, TX home water quality test

Step 1: call Mother Modern Plumbing for a home water quality test. 

If we find any of the “Big 3” contaminants in your tap water, our expert DFW plumbers have multiple customized treatment solutions for your home.

Create an annual water quality inspection plan

Work with your DFW 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 softener in Richardson, TX

Hard water minerals don’t present the same health hazards as chloramines and forever chemicals. But they’re a nightmare when it comes to appliance efficiency, pipe Hard water minerals don’t present the same health hazards as chloramines and forever chemicals. But they’re a nightmare when it comes to appliance efficiency, pipe scaling, reduced water flow and underground pipe leaks.

Our Master Plumber believes the most effective solution for reducing water hardness in Richardson, Texas is with a whole home water softener.

"You have to take the…hardness out of the water by some sort of filter or softening,” Josh Dudley explains. “There’s no other quick fixes for city water.”

Ask Mother Modern Plumbing about the right whole house water softener system for your Richardson home.

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Overall Water Quality Report Card for Richardson, TX

The City of Richardson’s ability to source water from Collin County allows its residents access to better water quality than most of Dallas County.

Water hardness is on par with much of the DFW Metroplex, but chloramine disinfectant levels are nearly a full point lower than neighboring cities. We await complete PFAS data, but we’re encouraged by the City’s willingness to provide complete EPA information as soon as it’s available.

Overall, residents should be satisfied with their water supply and the city’s water treatment efforts.

Overall Richardson TX Water Quality Grade: B+

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