Texas Tap Water Might Kill Ya!

A Texas woman recently died after using tap water from her RV to rinse her sinuses, and no, this isn’t a horror movie plot. It’s a very real reminder that Texas tap water might not be as squeaky clean as we’d all like to believe. The culprit? A brain-eating amoeba. Welcome to Texas, where the water might just try to kill you.

Let’s break down what happened and why it’s probably time to start reading those boil-water notices a little more carefully.

Woman Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba After Using Tap Water

The CDC confirmed that a 71-year-old woman contracted Naegleria fowleri, the so-called brain-eating amoeba, after cleaning her sinuses with tap water from her RV’s potable water tank while camping in Texas. She died just eight days after symptoms began.

While this kind of infection is rare, it’s not unheard of, especially when using untreated or non-sterile water for nasal rinsing. The CDC made it clear: if you’re going to flush out your sinuses, use distilled, sterilized, or boiled and cooled water. Not whatever’s coming out of the tap in your camper.

Texas Tap Water Quality Ranks Among the Worst in the Country

Bad news: Texas ranks 46th in the nation for health-based drinking water violations per community water system. That’s right. Only four states perform worse. According to America’s Health Rankings, Texas water systems average 3.5 violations each. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also found a slew of contaminants in Texas tap water, like arsenic, radium, and something called trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which sounds more like a Marvel villain than something you want in your glass.

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Rural Texans Get Hit the Hardest

If you’re in a small town or rural area, buckle up. Dozens of Texas utilities have been flagged for water that exceeds legal limits for radiation, lead, and other lovely substances. Infrastructure in these areas is often outdated, underfunded, and stretched way too thin.

That means if you live in one of these spots, your water might be more “liquid roulette” than “clean hydration.”

Contaminated Groundwater and Old Pipes Add to the Problem

Texas relies heavily on groundwater, which sounds great until you realize over 250 new contamination cases were reported in 2023 alone. Pollutants like benzene and vinyl chloride have been found in public wells, with gas stations being a surprisingly common source of pollution.

Add in a failing infrastructure and you’ve got a recipe for trouble. Texas issued 55 percent more boil-water notices between 2018 and 2022 than the previous five years. Translation: even when the water is flowing, you might want to give it a hard pass.

Most Texans Don’t Trust Their Water

A survey from Texas Water Trade showed 61 percent of Texans, especially in Black, Hispanic, and low-income communities, don’t believe their tap water is safe. And honestly? Who can blame them?

More and more residents are turning to bottled water or filtration systems just to avoid the potential cocktail of contaminants coming out of their kitchen faucet.

Final Sip

Sure, not every glass of water in Texas will give you a brain infection, but when stories like this make headlines, it’s fair to feel a little nervous. Whether you’re in an RV or a big city, it might be time to invest in a filter, check your local water report, and maybe stop using tap water for anything that goes up your nose.

Stay hydrated, Texas… carefully.