Channelview, TX tap water
Supplied mostly by Harris County MUD 53, plus 2 other utilities. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Up to 0.03 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Up to 2.1 ppm (Low)
Typical 1.8 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure43–183 ppm
Typical 118 ppm
Moderately soft to medium. Suits most community fish and plants.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Houston, which supplies Harris County MUD 53; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 21; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 84 (2024).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
85–226 ppm
Typical 170 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
From EPA monitoring data; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 21 (2012–2019).
pH
Supplier's figure6.7–9
Typical 7.8
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Houston, which supplies Harris County MUD 53; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 21; EPA monitoring data (2012–2024).
Total dissolved solids
Supplier's figure144–321 ppm
Typical 203 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Houston, which supplies Harris County MUD 53; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 21; City of Houston, which supplies Harris County Wcid 84 (2024).
- Harris County MUD 53, Harris County Wcid 21 and Harris County Wcid 84 soften their water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Channelview, TX
Harris County MUD 53
Serves 42% of residents · Buys water from North Channel Water Authority · Chloramine
Harris County Wcid 21
Serves 29% of residents · Buys water from North Channel Water Authority · Chloramine
Harris County Wcid 84
Serves 19% of residents · Buys water from North Channel Water Authority · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.