Public water system · TX1010012
ActiveSouthern Water
At a glance
Southern Water (PWSID TX1010012) is an active community water system in Harris County, Texas. It reports serving 3,933 people through 1,300 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,933
Service connections
1,300
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Southern Water compare with other water systems in Harris County?
By EPA's size categories, Southern Water is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Harris County has 1,246 active public water systems. Its population served is about 19% below the county average of 4,849 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 6,041,784 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 Southern Water is about 41% 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 Southern Water?
EPA lists Southern Water as privately owned. 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. 732 of the 1,246 active systems in Harris County (59%) are also privately owned.
Does Southern Water have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between July 1992 and July 2025. By type: 5 monitoring and reporting and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Chlorine (3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | 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.
Southern Water: frequently asked questions
Who runs Southern Water?
Southern Water (PWSID TX1010012) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the TX state drinking water program.
How many people does Southern Water serve?
Southern Water reports serving 3,933 people through 1,300 service connections in Harris County, Texas.
Where does Southern Water 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 Southern Water have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Southern Water'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; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Southern Water's water quality report?
As a community water system, Southern Water 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 Harris County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Houston | Harris | 2,970,543 | Community | Surface water |
| City of Pasadena | Harris | 152,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Clear Lake City Water Authority | Harris | 89,702 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Baytown | Harris | 86,004 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| City of Houston Ud 5 - Kingwood | Harris | 80,073 | Community | Groundwater |
| Harris County MUD 165 | Harris | 40,503 | Community | Purchased 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, “Southern Water, PWSID TX1010012, Texas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/texas/southern-water-tx1010012 (data as of October 1, 2026).