Public water system · TX1000003
ActiveCity of Sour Lake
At a glance
City of Sour Lake (PWSID TX1000003) is an active community water system in Hardin County, Texas. It reports serving 1,854 people through 1,066 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,854
Service connections
1,066
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Sour Lake compare with other water systems in Hardin County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Sour Lake is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Hardin County has 28 active public water systems. Its population served is about 18% below the county average of 2,259 people per system, and accounts for 2.9% of the 63,249 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 Sour Lake is well 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 Sour Lake?
EPA lists City of Sour Lake 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. 7 of the 28 active systems in Hardin County (25%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Sour Lake have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. The violations listed here began between July 1993 and December 2024. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (3 of them). EPA lists 3 as resolved 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 1993-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
All 4 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 Sour Lake: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Sour Lake?
City of Sour Lake (PWSID TX1000003) 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 Sour Lake serve?
City of Sour Lake reports serving 1,854 people through 1,066 service connections in Hardin County, Texas.
Where does City of Sour Lake 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 Sour Lake have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. 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 Sour Lake'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. EPA's records list 4 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2024. 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 Sour Lake's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Sour Lake 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 Hardin County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton MUD | Hardin | 31,428 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Silsbee | Hardin | 10,026 | Community | Groundwater |
| North Hardin WSC | Hardin | 7,755 | Community | Groundwater |
| West Hardin WSC | Hardin | 4,630 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wildwood Resort City | Hardin | 1,992 | Community | Groundwater |
| City of Kountze | Hardin | 1,981 | 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 Sour Lake, PWSID TX1000003, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/city-of-sour-lake-tx1000003 (data as of October 1, 2026).