San Antonio, TX vs Houston, TX

When comparing tap water quality between San Antonio, TX and Houston, TX, Houston currently holds a substantial 21-point lead in average WaterQ score, with a score of 95 out of 100 versus 74 for San Antonio. San Antonio, TX carries a C grade while Houston, TX carries an A. A WaterQ score reflects an aggregate of EPA-reported violations, monitoring data, and compliance history across all public water systems serving each city, so a higher score generally indicates fewer recent violations and a stronger compliance record, though it does not guarantee that every tap in the city tests identically.

Houston, TX is the larger of the two, with 3.2 million more residents than San Antonio. Houston is served by 530 public water systems, compared with 9 in San Antonio — a difference of 521 systems. A larger number of systems often reflects a more fragmented distribution network spanning multiple utilities, suburbs, or rural service areas, while a single large utility serving a big population can benefit from economies of scale in treatment and monitoring, but may also face more complex, aging infrastructure to maintain.

For residents of either San Antonio or Houston, the most useful next step is to look up the specific water system that serves your address, since city-wide averages combine results from every system in the area. Visit the San Antonio or Houston city pages below for a breakdown of local systems, recent violations, and contaminant-specific data, or browse WaterQ's contaminants directory to learn what each measured substance means for health.