Public water system · TX1280001
ActiveCity of Karnes City
At a glance
City of Karnes City (PWSID TX1280001) is an active community water system in Karnes County, Texas. It reports serving 4,269 people through 1,423 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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
4,269
Service connections
1,423
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Karnes City compare with other water systems in Karnes County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Karnes City is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Karnes County has 9 active public water systems, and City of Karnes City is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 2,165 people per system, and accounts for 22% of the 19,487 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 Karnes City is about 36% below 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 Karnes City?
EPA lists City of Karnes 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. 5 of the 9 active systems in Karnes County (56%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Karnes City have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2013 and September 2025. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 reporting and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Public Notice (2 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved, 2 as unaddressed and 1 as archived. 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. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Archived |
| 2024-10-17 | ReportingLSL Reporting · code 4G | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-10-17 | Required treatment not metLSL Inventory · code 2E | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-11-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2021-08-25 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2016-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | 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 Karnes City: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Karnes City?
City of Karnes City (PWSID TX1280001) 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 Karnes City serve?
City of Karnes City reports serving 4,269 people through 1,423 service connections in Karnes County, Texas.
Where does City of Karnes 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 Karnes City have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. 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 Karnes 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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2025. 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 Karnes City's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Karnes 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 Karnes County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Kenedy | Karnes | 6,454 | Community | Groundwater |
| El Oso WSC | Karnes | 6,288 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Runge | Karnes | 1,482 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Falls City | Karnes | 514 | Community | Groundwater |
| Conocophillips Kenedy Office | Karnes | 175 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Jericho Ranch Rv Park | Karnes | 156 | 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 Karnes City, PWSID TX1280001, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/city-of-karnes-city-tx1280001 (data as of October 1, 2026).