Head-to-head water quality

Austin, TX vs Sacramento, CA

Side-by-side water quality comparison: Austin (Grade F) vs Sacramento (Grade F). Lead, PFAS, violations, and source-water contamination

Score breakdown

Each factor is shown as raw points (out of the maximum). Higher = better.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

Violations subscore / 45

0.0

Tie

Lead/Copper subscore / 20

16.0

Tie

Contaminant subscore / 20

6.2

3.2

Austin

Compliance subscore / 10

5.0

8.0

Sacramento

Source subscore / 5

4.0

Tie

Lead & copper at the tap

Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) 90th-percentile readings — the value that 10% of sampled homes exceed.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

Lead 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 15 µg/L

0.0 µg/L

Tie

Copper 90th-percentile (latest) · EPA action level: 1.3 mg/L

2.4 mg/L

1.5 mg/L

Sacramento

PFAS — "forever chemicals"

UCMR 5 testing, 2023–2025. Federal MCLs: PFOA + PFOS = 4 ng/L; HFPO-DA = 10 ng/L.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

PFAS analytes detected

10 of 30

9 of 30

Sacramento

PFAS exceeds federal MCL

Yes

Tie

PFAS hazard index · Sum of (max/MCL) across detected analytes; > 1 indicates exceedance

1.88

14.68

Austin

Violation history

SDWA enforcement actions — fewer is better.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

Violations (last 5 years)

2,254

150

Sacramento

Health-based violations (total)

1,288

425

Sacramento

Unresolved violations

2,515

199

Sacramento

Other contaminants tested

UCMR rounds 1–4 + UCMR 5 lithium. Maxima where data exists; "—" means not tested.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

Chromium-6 (max)

4.01 µg/L

14.81 µg/L

Austin

HAA5 (avg)

11.12 µg/L

15.26 µg/L

Austin

Manganese (max)

72.00 µg/L

290.00 µg/L

Austin

Strontium (max)

2020.00 µg/L

1000.00 µg/L

Sacramento

1,4-Dioxane (max)

—

0.45 µg/L

Sacramento

NDMA (max)

48.04 ng/L

20.00 ng/L

Sacramento

Vanadium (max)

5.25 µg/L

85.00 µg/L

Austin

Chlorate (max)

4510.00 µg/L

2700.00 µg/L

Sacramento

Molybdenum (max)

59.40 µg/L

180.00 µg/L

Austin

Industrial proximity

Superfund National Priorities List + Toxic Release Inventory facilities within 10 miles of the city centroid.

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Better

Superfund sites within 10 mi

Austin

TRI lbs to surface water within 10 mi (2023)

Sacramento

System size & source

Factor

Austin

Sacramento

Population served

1.8M

1.2M

—

Water source

Surface water

—

Number of water systems

621

—

See the full reports

Full report

Austin, TX water quality

Grade F · 1.8M served

Full report

Sacramento, CA water quality

Grade F · 1.2M served

All cities in Texas → All cities in California →

Frequently asked

Which has better water — Austin or Sacramento?

Austin and Sacramento score similarly on WaterVerge's 100-point methodology — both earn a Grade F. See the full breakdown below to compare individual factors like lead levels, PFAS, and recent violations.

How is the WaterVerge water quality score calculated?

The grade combines five subscores: violation history (45 pts, weighted by recency and health-based severity), lead/copper 90th-percentile vs EPA action levels (20 pts), contaminant testing including PFAS, chromium-6, HAA5, NDMA, perchlorate, and Superfund/TRI proximity (20 pts), monitoring compliance (10 pts), and water-source-type risk (5 pts). Full methodology at /about/methodology.

Where does this water quality data come from?

From the EPA's public records: the SDWIS bulk download (violations + system info), UCMR rounds 1–5 (unregulated contaminant testing including PFAS, chromium-6, HAA5, NDMA, perchlorate, vanadium, lithium), the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (industrial polluters), the Superfund National Priorities List, the USGS Powell Domestic-Well Database (private-well chemistry), and the CDC Community Water Fluoridation system. Data is refreshed quarterly.