Pentair Pelican Texas In-Home Water Treatment Services

Texas is a dry climate, and a lack of rainfall causes prolonged droughts. Worsening arid conditions, intensified by climate change, mean that the state has to be diligent about conserving its freshwater supply. However, other than minor adjustments, the laws regulating groundwater use haven’t been changed since 1904. The “Rule of Capture” allows landowners to pump water indiscriminately, even if it drains all the water from surrounding properties.

A general lack of fresh drinking water leads to higher instances of water quality problems, and the costs of additional water treatment are passed along to anyone paying a public water bill. Common quality issues in rural areas include lime scale buildup and elevated levels of coliform and arsenic. An alarming report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that Texas has the most radioactive water of any state, including detectable levels of radium-226 and radium-228. The EWG warns that not treating radioactive water can significantly increase the risk of cancer.

Other water quality issues around the state include zebra mussels in raw water pipes that can make water smell like raw sewage. Texas also struggles with disinfection byproducts (DBPs) like chloroform when water is treated with excessive chlorine or chloramines. In addition, Texas families have to contend with several water quality concerns such as PFAS.