Houston has polluted waterways
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Buffalo Bayou. Photo: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Several Houston waterways showed potentially unsafe E. coli levels, according to a new Environment Texas Research and Policy Center analysis.
Why it matters: High levels of fecal bacteria can make people sick and can signal pollution from sewage overflows, stormwater runoff and failing septic systems.
What they found: Across Texas, 59% of 367 monitoring locations had potentially unsafe E. coli levels on at least one day they were tested in 2024 and 2025, per the report out this month.
- More than half, 53%, had potentially unsafe levels on at least one-quarter of testing days.
Zoom in: In Houston, monitoring locations on Buffalo Bayou, White Oak Bayou and Carpenters Bayou had potentially unsafe E. coli levels each day they were tested in 2024 and 2025.
- Peach Creek in Lake Houston Wilderness Park, a popular swimming spot in Montgomery County, exceeded the EPA's Beach Action Value, a measure of bacteria including E. coli., on 50% of testing days.
What they're saying: "Texans rely on their rivers and lakes for a place to swim on a hot day, but sometimes the water isn't as safe as it should be," said Beth Martin, city hall advocate for Environment Texas Research and Policy Center.
- "Houston has done a lot to reconnect people with our bayous, but our work isn't finished…We want a future where Houston's bayous aren't just beautiful places to walk alongside or paddle on, but are clean and healthy enough that someday people can safely swim in them."
The intrigue: Houston is five years into a 15-year federal consent decree requiring major wastewater system improvements to reduce sewage overflows and address other Clean Water Act violations.
- "Progress feels painfully slow," said Guadalupe Fernández, policy strategy director for Bayou City Waterkeeper.
What we're watching: The policy group Texas 2036 estimates the state will need $21.1 billion over the next 50 years to repair and upgrade wastewater infrastructure.
- Last year, Texas voters approved Proposition 4, providing billions of dollars for water projects.
- Environment Texas is calling for state leaders to prioritize wastewater upgrades to prevent sewage spills.