New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) has diversified its water supply portfolio to give customers the benefit of multiple water sources. In total, NBU has 50,717 acre-feet of water available from these sources. The majority of your drinking water is treated at the Gruene Road Surface Water Treatment Plant, which uses the Guadalupe River, Edwards Aquifer wells, and Trinity Aquifer wells as its water sources.

In addition, NBU has agreements with the City of Seguin and Green Valley Special Utility District to purchase water as needed. New Braunfels Utilities accepts City of Seguin source water from the Canyon Regional Water Authority Lake Dunlap Water Treatment Facility through an interconnection with Springs Hill’s distribution system.

Water resources planning takes into account long-term growth and new developments that are located within the NBU service area. New Braunfels Utilities is prepared to meet the needs of its customers for years to come.

New Braunfels Utilities’ obtains its drinking water from surface and groundwater sources that come from the Edwards South Balcones Fault Zone, the Trinity Aquifer, and the Guadalupe River.

The TCEQ completed an assessment of NBU’s source water and results indicate that some of these sources are susceptible to certain contaminants.

The sampling requirements for the NBU water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data. Any detections of these contaminants may be found in this Water Quality Report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts of the NBU system, contact the Water Treatment and Compliance Manager at 830.608.8901.

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.

As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material. It can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.

More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial: Such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic: Such as salts and metals, can occur naturally or result from urban storm water runoff , industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides: These may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

Organic chemical: Including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, these may be byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

Radioactive: These contaminants can occur naturally or as the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the number of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protections for public health. Contaminants in drinking water may cause taste, color, or odor problems. These types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns. For more information on taste, odor, or color of drinking water, please contact NBU at 830.608.8901.

New Braunfels Utilities is currently in the process of identifying all water service line materials which supply water to residences and businesses within its service area. Additionally, NBU has been monitoring for lead and copper since 1992 and works regularly with 30 homeowners of older houses to test water within their homes.
We do this to help determine levels of lead and copper that may be leaching from the homes’ plumbing systems. Lead can leach into water from plumbing materials such as lead-based solder and brass fixtures. All results (shown on page 7) are well under the Action Level for these contaminants.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. New Braunfels Utilities is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water; however, we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested.

Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791 or visit the EPA’s website.

Click here for a list of of frequently asked questions on PFAS chemicals.