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Valley Estates - Lubbock, TX

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Serves 70 people - Test data available: 2004-2006

This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality . It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources to protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes test results for this utility and lists potential health concerns.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality did not respond to requests for more recent test data. Contact your water utility for the latest water quality report.

	This Drinking Water System	National Average
Exceed Health GuidelinesTests showing chemicals at concentrations above health guidelines established by federal and state health agencies. These guidelines are typically set at a levels that pose no significant health risk.	6 chemicals	4
Health Standard ExceedencesChemicals detected at concentrations above the legal limit, the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCLs) established by the U.S. EPA. Most MCLs are based on annual averages, so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.	5 chemicals	0.5
Pollutants FoundThe total number of contaminants detected since 2004, according to data provided by the state water agency.	10 chemicals	8
Tests ConductedThe total number of number of water quality tests conducted by water utilities and recorded in data provided by the state water agency.	83 tests	420

Contaminants Exceeding Health Guidelines

Contaminant	Average/ Maximum Result	Health Limit Exceeded	Legal Limit Exceeded	Testing History -Tested      -Detected      -Over Health Guidelines      -Over Legal Limit*
Selenium (total)Selenium is a naturally occurring element that contaminates water due to mining or petrolum refining, fly-ash from coal-burning power plants, and irrigation of arid farmland soils high in selenium.	92.57 ppb 97.1 ppb	Yes 50 ppb	Yes 50 ppb
Arsenic (total)Arsenic contaminates drinking water due to mining runoff, erosion of natural deposits, emissions from glass and electronics processing and the use of arsenical compounds as wood preservatives and pesticides.	13 ppb 13.6 ppb	Yes MCLGA non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.: 0 ppb	Yes 10 ppb
Combined Uranium (mg/L)Uranium is a radioactive element commonly found in most rocks; processed uranium ore is used for power generation and weapons manufacture.	53.65 ppb 54.9 ppb	Yes MCLGA non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.: 0 ppb	Yes 30 ppb
Alpha particle activityAlpha particles are a form of radiation released from mining waste pollutants and natural sources.	37.35 pCi/L 37.5 pCi/L	Yes MCLGA non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.: 0 pCi/L	Yes 15 pCi/L
Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)Beta particles are a form of radiation frequently associated with nuclear testing and radioactive mineral deposits.	37.15 pCi/L 41 pCi/L	Yes	Yes 15 pCi/L
Radium-226Radium-226 is a radioactive element usually found around uranium deposits.	0.1 pCi/L 0.2 pCi/L	Yes MCLGA non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.: 0 pCi/L	No 5 pCi/L
NOTE: Each dot in the above graph represents one month. * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

Other Detected Contaminants

Contaminant	Average/ Maximum Result	Health Limit Exceeded	Legal Limit Exceeded	Testing History -Tested      -Detected      -Over Health Guidelines      -Over Legal Limit*
Uranium-234 (pCi/L)	23.05 pCi/L 23.1 pCi/L	No	Legal at any levelThis is the Federal Limit. State Limits may be lower.
Uranium-238 (pCi/L)	0.8 pCi/L 0.8 pCi/L	No	Legal at any levelThis is the Federal Limit. State Limits may be lower.
Barium (total)Barium is a mineral that enters drinking water through drilling and mining waste runoff, discharges from chemical industries and erosion of natural deposits.	29.9 ppb 29.9 ppb	No 700 ppb	No 2000 ppb
CopperCopper is a naturally occuring metal and drinking water contaminant that enters tap water by corrosion of household plumbing systems and erosion of natural deposits.	3 ppb 3 ppb	No 300 ppb	No 1000 ppb
NOTE: Each dot in the above graph represents one month. * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

Contaminants Not Detected - 61 chemicals

2,2,3,3,4,4,6-heptachlorobiphenyl, 2,2,3,4,6-pentachlorobiphenyl, 2,2,4,4,5,6-hexachlorobiphenyl, 2,2,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 2,3,3,4,5,6,6-octachlorobiphenyl, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Alachlor (Lasso), Aldrin, Alpha Chlordane, Aluminum, Anthracene, Antimony (total), Atrazine, Benzo[a]anthracene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Beryllium (total), Bromacil, Butachlor, Butyl Benzylphthalate, Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Chrysene, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Di-n-butylphthalate, Dibenz[a,h]anthracene, Dieldrin, Diethylphthalate, Dimethylphthalate, Endrin, Fluorene, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Lead (total), Lindane, Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Methoxychlor, Methyl Parathion, Metolachlor, Metribuzin, Naphthalene, Parathion (ethyl), Pentachlorophenol, Phenanthrene, Prometon, Propachlor, Pyrene, Radium-228, Silver (total), Simazine, Thallium (total), Trans-Nonachlor, Trifluralin

Pollution Summary

10	Total Contaminants Detected (2004 - 2006) Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Copper, Selenium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Uranium-234 (pCi/L), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
2	Agricultural Pollutants (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms) Arsenic (total), Selenium (total)
2	Sprawl and Urban Pollutants (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste) Arsenic (total), Copper
7	Industrial Pollutants Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Selenium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
0	Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)
8	Naturally Occurring (naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development) Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Copper, Selenium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
2	Unregulated Contaminants EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants Uranium-234 (pCi/L), Uranium-238 (pCi/L)

EPA Violation Summary

Violation Category	Number of Violations
MCL and Treatment (click see violations)close	11
Violation Date of Violation Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample Selenium (total) 2004/03/01 - 2004/06/30 Over maximum contaminant level, Average Selenium (total) 2004/10/01 - 2004/12/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average Selenium (total) 2004/04/01 - 2004/06/30 Over maximum contaminant level, Average Selenium (total) 2004/01/01 - 2004/03/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average 2004/10/01 - 2004/12/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average 2004/01/01 - 2004/03/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average 2004/04/01 - 2004/06/30 Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample 2005/01/01 - 2005/03/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average Combined Uranium (mg/L) 2005/01/01 - 2005/12/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Average Combined Uranium (mg/L) 2006/01/01 - 2006/12/31 Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample 2004/03/01 - 2004/06/30
Reporting (click see violations)close	4
Violation Date of Violation Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report 2004/07/01 - 2025/12/31 Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report 2005/07/01 - 2025/12/31 Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations 2006/05/01 - 2025/12/31 Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations 2007/07/01 - 2025/12/31
Monitoring (click see violations)close	3
Violation Date of Violation Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) 2006/01/01 - 2006/01/31 Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) 2007/03/01 - 2007/03/31 Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) 2007/09/01 - 2007/09/30

Information on violations is drawn directly from EPA's national violations database in the Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System. Analyses by others have raised questions about the quality of the information in EPA's database. For the purposes of this investigation, EWG is not showing below or including in our analyses, those violations for individual water suppliers that occurred on days for which the total number of violations assigned by EPA to that water supplier was greater than 20. This criteria was based on common characteristics of incorrect violations data as identified by water utilities, from a review of EPA's violations data by several hundred utilities prior to the release of EWG's investigation.