Public water system · TX1140001
ActiveCity of Big Spring
At a glance
City of Big Spring (PWSID TX1140001) is an active community water system in Howard County, Texas. It reports serving 27,282 people through 11,545 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
27,282
Service connections
11,545
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Big Spring compare with other water systems in Howard County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Big Spring is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Howard County has 8 active public water systems, and City of Big Spring is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 6.8 times the county average of 4,004 people per system, and accounts for 85% of the 32,028 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 Big Spring is about 4.1 times 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 328 Texas systems (4.6%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Big Spring?
EPA lists City of Big Spring 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. 3 of the 8 active systems in Howard County (38%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Big Spring have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2026. The violations listed here began between October 2024 and April 2026. By type: 7 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 required treatment not met and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (7 of them). EPA lists 6 as archived, 4 as resolved and 2 as unaddressed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2026-03-03 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2026-01-01 | Required treatment not metMonthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) · code 44 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2026-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-05-07 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2025-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-10-30 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
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 Big Spring: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Big Spring?
City of Big Spring (PWSID TX1140001) 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 Big Spring serve?
City of Big Spring reports serving 27,282 people through 11,545 service connections in Howard County, Texas.
Where does City of Big Spring get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Big Spring have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 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 Big Spring'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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 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 Big Spring's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Big Spring 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 Howard County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Coahoma | Howard | 3,552 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| George H Obrien Jr Va Medical Center | Howard | 325 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| Txdot Howard County Sra | Howard | 300 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Forsan | Howard | 228 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ahg Big Spring | Howard | 220 | Transient non-community | Purchased groundwater |
| Nustar Big Spring Terminal | Howard | 92 | Transient non-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 Big Spring, PWSID TX1140001, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/city-of-big-spring-tx1140001 (data as of October 1, 2026).