Palestine Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

The City of Palestine Water Company serves approximately 27,017 residents in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas, from its municipal system headquartered at 504 N. Queen Street, Palestine, TX 75801 (phone: 903-731-8400). The utility's raw water intake draws from the Neches River in Anderson County. The city additionally benefits from Lake Palestine, which serves as a storage and supply reservoir — currently at 99.5% capacity as of May 2026. The utility operates surface water treatment infrastructure to deliver drinking water meeting or exceeding all Federal EPA requirements.

The Neches River watershed flows through the Gulf Coastal Plain of East Texas, a region dominated by Quaternary alluvial deposits overlying Tertiary sediments from the Eocene and Paleocene epochs. The underlying geology consists of clay, sand, and silt layers interspersed with limestone and calcareous materials. As water travels along the river channel and through these sedimentary formations, it dissolves calcium and magnesium minerals, producing a hard supply. Lake Palestine, formed by impoundment, allows settling of suspended solids but does not significantly reduce the dissolved mineral content.

Palestine's water supply is classified as hard, meaning residents and businesses will experience scale buildup in pipes, water heaters, and appliances over time. Hard water reduces the efficiency of water heaters, shortens appliance lifespan, and diminishes soap and detergent effectiveness; a water softener or point-of-use softening system is recommended for long-term cost savings. According to the 2024 Drinking Water Quality Report, the utility meets all Federal EPA requirements; reported organic compounds in the supply include isopropyl alcohol, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and DCPA mono- and di-acid degradates, with surface water treatment processes employed to maintain Safe Drinking Water Act compliance.