Public water system · TX1610001
ActiveCity of Bay City
At a glance
City of Bay City (PWSID TX1610001) is an active community water system in Matagorda County, Texas. It reports serving 18,061 people through 9,481 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
18,061
Service connections
9,481
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Bay City compare with other water systems in Matagorda County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Bay City is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Matagorda County has 42 active public water systems, and City of Bay City is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 19 times the county average of 941 people per system, and accounts for 46% of the 39,524 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Texas, the 7,078 active systems average 4,789 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Bay City is about 169% above that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Texas has 4,594 active community water systems, 65% of the state's 7,078 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 5,215 Texas systems (74%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Bay City?
EPA lists City of Bay City as owned by a local government. The TX state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 16 of the 42 active systems in Matagorda County (38%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Bay City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. The violations listed here began between April 2022 and March 2026. By type: 4 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (4 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as unaddressed. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-08 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-10-20 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2025-08-23 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR) · code 2A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2025-07-22 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-11-15 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-05-06 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first. Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Bay City: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Bay City?
City of Bay City (PWSID TX1610001) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TX state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Bay City serve?
City of Bay City reports serving 18,061 people through 9,481 service connections in Matagorda County, Texas.
Where does City of Bay City get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does City of Bay City have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Bay City's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TX state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Bay City's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Bay City must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Matagorda County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Palacios | Matagorda | 4,700 | Community | Groundwater |
| Caney Creek MUD of Matagorda County | Matagorda | 2,764 | Community | Groundwater |
| Matagorda WSC | Matagorda | 1,746 | Community | Groundwater |
| Matagorda County Wcid 6 | Matagorda | 1,518 | Community | Groundwater |
| Markham MUD | Matagorda | 1,400 | Community | Groundwater |
| Matagorda County Wcid 5 | Matagorda | 1,128 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “City of Bay City, PWSID TX1610001, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/city-of-bay-city-tx1610001 (data as of October 1, 2026).