Clean air and water and healthy surroundings are important for overall well-being. Pollutants and environmental hazards can pose serious risks, including illness, birth defects and other health issues. 

Explore air quality, water quality, housing, lead exposure, workplace safety, hazardous waste, heat illness and insect-borne illness. 

Learn how we, as community members, can influence and improve our environment.

Air Quality

According to the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, air pollution is responsible for health risks such as damaged lung tissue, triggering heart attacks, causing diseases such as bronchitis and lung cancer, and sending people to the emergency room with respiratory problems such as asthma. 

Air Quality in Bexar County

The air in Bexar County may put residents’ health at risk, according to the American Lung Association. The association’s 2023 State of the Air report gave the county a grade of “F” for ozone pollution (smog). The grade reflects the high number of unhealthy air days and a failure to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ozone standard.

The association gave Bexar County a grade of “B” for 24-hour particle pollution and a “Pass” for annual particle pollution. This assessment refers to tiny solid and liquid particles in the air that come from things like tailpipe exhaust and wildfire smoke.

Here are some ways in which we, as a community, can help improve air quality in San Antonio.

How businesses can improve air quality

• Prioritize energy-efficient practices and invest in clean energy sources to reduce ozone emissions. Ozone at ground level is a harmful air pollutant that contributes to smog formation.
• Participate in local, state, or governmental air quality initiatives and support policies that promote cleaner air.

How schools can improve air quality

• Educate students and staff about the importance of air quality and the impact of their actions.
• Encourage carpooling, walking or biking to school when possible.
• Promote no-idling zones for school buses and parent drop-off/pick-up areas.
• Create a school-wide initiative of planting trees and greenery on or near school grounds to help filter air pollutants.

How families can improve air quality

• Reduce vehicle usage by combining errands or using alternative transportation when available.
• Conserve energy at home by using energy-efficient practices (using natural lighting, LED bulbs, using ceiling fans versus A.C. units).

Air Quality Alert Day Recommendations

• Spend no more than 30 minutes outside and move any outdoor activities you can inside. 
• Consistently replace the air filters in your home to reduce particles.
• Wear a mask to aid against air pollution if you need to be outside for longer than 30 minutes at a time. 

By making these efforts to reduce emissions, conserve energy and support sustainable practices, our community can significantly improve air quality in San Antonio and safeguard public health.

Drinking Water Quality

Clean water is essential for public health. Nearly all the water Bexar County residents drink comes from fresh surface waters and ground water aquifers.

Chemicals, bacteria and radioactive materials can contaminate these sources. Texas public water systems treat and regularly test their water for 102 contaminants to ensure it meets federal and state drinking water standards. Public water systems must also report their water quality. 

View San Antonio’s 2023 report.

Health Conditions Related to Contaminated Water

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that contaminants in water can lead to health issues including:

• Gastrointestinal illness
• Reproductive problems 
• Neurological disorders

Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may be especially at risk for illness. All drinking water in the United States must meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

Private Well Water Testing

If you get water from a private well, you must test it regularly to ensure it’s safe for drinking and cooking. Review the Environmental Protection Agency’s private well resources for testing the water and preventing well pollution.

State law requires all wells that withdraw water from the Edwards Aquifer to be registered with the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) in San Antonio. After registering your well, the EAA will inform you of any potential contaminants. Then, you can take steps to protect the people who rely on the well. 

Storm Water

Storm water discharge affects water quality. Therefore, Bexar County has a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program to keep rivers, lakes and streams clean. View county regulations, reports and other resources on the Bexar County Public Works website.

Housing and Health

Housing conditions affect residents’ health. The National Center for Healthy Housing observes that homes should be:

• Clean
• Dry
• Free of pests and contaminants
• Kept at a comfortable temperature
• Safe
• Ventilated
• Well maintained 

View the National Center for Healthy Housing’s report on housing in Texas.

Unsafe housing can contribute to lead poisoning, asthma and other respiratory illnesses, cancer, and injuries or death. If your home has environmental hazards, learn about the City of San Antonio’s housing support services. Owners and landlords may qualify for assistance to create healthy, safe, energy-efficient and sustainable homes for families and children.

Lead Poisoning in Children

For lifelong health, children must have protection from exposure to lead. Even low levels of lead in blood can affect learning, ability to pay attention and academic achievement, according to the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

Children may be exposed to lead by:

• Eating or chewing on lead-contaminated items, such as paint chips or windowsills painted before 1978.
• Breathing lead-contaminated dust.
• Having lead passed on to them during pregnancy.

Test for Lead Exposure

Your child’s health care provider can test for lead exposure with a simple blood test. 

Every child should have a blood lead test at 12 and 24 months of age and be screened annually until age 6. Talk to your child’s health care provider about a screening.

Blood Lead Testing in Bexar County

In 2019, Texas Health and Human Services tested Bexar County children and found:

• 1% of children up to age 5 had elevated lead levels in their blood.
• 2% of children ages 6-14 had elevated lead levels in their blood.

Prevent Lead Poisoning

You can prevent lead poisoning in children by:

• Hiring a professional to check for lead in your home if it was built before 1978.
• Cleaning and dusting your home regularly (dust may contain lead).
• Encouraging play in safe, grassy areas away from soil that could be contaminated with lead (especially near roads, junkyards and older buildings).
• Using a water filter designed for lead removal.
• Testing your home’s drinking water.

Workplace Health & Safety 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the workplace an important setting for health protection. On average, Americans working full-time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace.

Work-Related Injuries & Illnesses in Texas

Each year from 2017–2021, Texas’ rate of occupational injuries and illnesses ranged from 2–2.2 per 100 people—lower than the national rates of 2.7–2.8 during the same period. This information came from the Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation. 

In 2021, the private industry sectors with the highest injury and illness rates were: 

• Transportation and warehousing 
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 
• Retail trade
• Arts, entertainment and recreation
• Health care and social assistance 

Occupational Safety Resources 

Review the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s safety and health resources for employers, employees, insurance companies and their policyholders. 

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste is a substance that can harm people or the environment. It comes from:

• Agriculture (pesticides, herbicides and manure)
• Batteries
• Fuel 
• Household products, including cleaners, paints and fluorescent light bulbs 
• Industrial manufacturing
• Power plants 

Health Risks of Hazardous Waste

The EPA notes that hazardous waste can cause many health problems, including: 

• Behavioral changes 
• Birth defects 
• Cancer
• Genetic mutations 
• Infertility 
• Organ failure 

Managing Hazardous Waste

Businesses and households must take steps to limit and properly dispose of hazardous waste. To protect your community, employees and family: 

• Explore industrial and hazardous waste compliance resources from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 
• Take advantage of the household hazardous waste pickup program in Bexar County 

Heat Illness  

Intense heat can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both of which are common in South Texas. Heat illness can be more dangerous for babies, young children and people aged 65 and older. 

You can prevent heat illness by:

• Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
• Staying out of direct sunlight when possible.
• Wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and wide-brim hats.
• Never leaving children or babies alone in a hot car.
• Staying indoors when the heat is excessive.

Read our blog to learn how to spot the signs of heat illness and what to do when it happens.

Insect-Borne Diseases

Mosquito bites can transmit diseases and cause birth defects. To learn how to stop mosquitoes from breeding on your property, visit the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District website.