Public water system · TX0310096
ActiveEast Rio Hondo WSC
At a glance
East Rio Hondo WSC (PWSID TX0310096) is an active community water system in Cameron County, Texas. It reports serving 24,756 people through 8,977 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
24,756
Service connections
8,977
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does East Rio Hondo WSC compare with other water systems in Cameron County?
By EPA's size categories, East Rio Hondo WSC is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Cameron County has 30 active public water systems, and East Rio Hondo WSC is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 68% above the county average of 14,775 people per system, and accounts for 5.6% of the 443,241 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 East Rio Hondo WSC is about 3.7 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 East Rio Hondo WSC?
EPA lists East Rio Hondo WSC 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. 21 of the 30 active systems in Cameron County (70%) are also owned by a local government.
Does East Rio Hondo WSC have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2016. The violations listed here began between July 1992 and November 2016. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 required treatment not met and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-11-01 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-01-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
All 6 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.
East Rio Hondo WSC: frequently asked questions
Who runs East Rio Hondo WSC?
East Rio Hondo WSC (PWSID TX0310096) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the TX state drinking water program.
How many people does East Rio Hondo WSC serve?
East Rio Hondo WSC reports serving 24,756 people through 8,977 service connections in Cameron County, Texas.
Where does East Rio Hondo WSC 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 East Rio Hondo WSC have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2016. 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 East Rio Hondo WSC'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 6 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in November 2016. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the TX state drinking water program.
Where can I find East Rio Hondo WSC's water quality report?
As a community water system, East Rio Hondo WSC 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 Cameron County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville Public Utilities Board | Cameron | 201,249 | Community | Surface water |
| Harlingen Water Works System | Cameron | 85,900 | Community | Surface water |
| Laguna Madre Water District | Cameron | 46,674 | Community | Surface water |
| City of San Benito | Cameron | 24,250 | Community | Surface water |
| El Jardin WSC | Cameron | 9,423 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Olmito WSC | Cameron | 8,952 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “East Rio Hondo WSC, PWSID TX0310096, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/east-rio-hondo-wsc-tx0310096 (data as of October 1, 2026).