The 713-Issue: Why Is Houston So Dirty?

Houston is a mecca for developers and businesses to grow their business in the Lone Star State. But with development also comes pollution – lots of it.  

So when you consider Houston’s poor air quality, the stifling heat, and the water problems that have plagued them, Houston has slowly become one of the dirtiest cities to live in.

In this article, we discuss the different, dirtier side of Houston – and what hides behind all of the glitz and glamor we all know and love!

Why is Houston so dirty?

Houston is dirty for many reasons – dirty air, high greenhouse gas emissions, roach and mold infestations, problems with lead pipes, and dirty rain are just surface-level problems. But other factors like homelessness and low recycling rate also play into it!

Gas Emissions 

As we’ve mentioned earlier, greenhouse gas emissions are excessively high – in fact, a study from 2022 has shown that Houston produces 27.7 million metric tons of transportation greenhouse gas emissions.

This places Houston’s urban area right below China’s Tuoketuo Power Center, which equals poorer air quality compared to other cities in Houston, and more cases of smog and more cases of respiratory diseases.

A study from the Houston Action Plan has shown that Houston produced 14.9 metric tonnes of CO2 in 2020, making it one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the entirety of the United States.

These greenhouse emissions don’t just heat the planet up but also result in poorer air quality overall for the city. This makes Houston, the 4th largest city in the United States, also one of the dirtiest cities to live in – all thanks to being in the stifling heat that lingers in the city.

Infestation problems

If you’re not a fan of roaches and mice, then you’re not gonna like living in Houston. Houston ranked first out of all the US cities when it comes to cockroach sightings, and fifth when it comes to rodent sightings

The sheer number of pest sightings has everything to do with Houston’s very warm weather. Yes, it’s great for taking a dip in the water, but the hot and humid weather is also the ideal condition for cockroaches to thrive in as well.

As for the rodents, Houston has always had a trash problem, which results in rodent infestations. With a recycling rate of just 19%, waste food is bound to be there in one way or another – which can lead to rodent problems.

Houston’s The Simmons Garden Apartment on Sunnyside has also seen severe bed bug infestations as of November 2023, which has resulted in several of their elderly residents complaining to Houston’s Health Department.

And though roaches and rodents don’t really pose that much of a health problem, it’s still very much an inconvenience, especially when you consider that seeing cockroaches everywhere is – generally – disgusting.

Water Problems

With at least 14 problems detected and 49 contaminations found by the EWG on their drinking water as of 2021, Houston’s tap water is far from being drinkable – especially when arsenic and Bromochloroacetic acid was detected in it as well.

Texas – and not just Houston alone – also ranks as the fifth-highest percentage of lead pipes compared to other states in the US. Lead pipes are outdated when it comes to plumbing systems as a whole and can cause lead contamination in the drinking water.

Though the lead in Houston’s drinking water isn’t large enough to cause serious issues, it can add up as time goes on, and result in worse problems as time goes on.

Add the drought that plagued Houston midway last year left the city with restrictions left and right means that not only is the drinking water not safe, but also limited. Though they have reduced the drought status as of December 2023, Houstonians still feel the impact since the keyword is “reduced” – NOT removed, altogether.

Mold Problems

As we’ve mentioned earlier, Houston is insanely humid, and that is the perfect breeding ground for mold. As of the time of writing, the mold score in Houston averages out at 3,000 per day for the last week  – which is low, but not completely zero.

Though the mold levels are relatively low, it can still cause respiratory and allergic reactions and can result in asthmatic attacks for others as well. 

And if you’re not careful, you can inhale black mold in certain areas of Houston, which is toxic and can cause worse problems. There are mold inspectors in Houston (mold inspectors Houston) you can tap, but the problem lies with Houston’s humid nature by itself.

Poor Air Quality

Houston’s population has boomed throughout the years. More population equals more traffic, and more traffic equals more air pollution. A report from the American Lung Association has shown that Houston has had 22.3 days of bad air in 2019 alone.

This isn’t just due to traffic, either – considering that Houston has 2 out of the 4 largest petrochemical contributors in the entirety of the US, this makes them significantly dirtier air compared to other cities. 

It also doesn’t help that these refineries are located near residential areas, too – which results in worse air quality, and cancer clusters in the worst situation, too. Most of these occur in Houston’s Black and Latino areas too, which has seen a greater downside compared to other areas.

Houston’s metropolitan area isn’t safe from it either, Research has shown that Houston has reached a particle-per-meter (PM) of PM2.5 per cubic meter, which is close to dangerous levels. 

Certain areas of Bellaire, Greens Bayou, Oak Creek, Clifton Park, Third Ward, and Brookhaven have reached PM11, which is twice as many as the WHO’s standard for clean air.

Homelessness

Homelessness is also a large part of what makes Houston one of the dirtiest cities in Texas. 

Houston places 22nd place for the most cities with cases of homeless people, placing 3 places below the more populated and just above San Antonio and Fort Worth. Homeless people tend to not clean up after themselves, resulting in dirtier sidewalks.

But at the end of the day, remember that homelessness is an epidemic currently going on in the US, and not just in Houston alone – and although Houston is one of the dirtiest cities, it has more to do with their by-laws than anything else. 

Dirty Rain

The recent rains in Houston have left its residents wondering why their cars were dirtier than it was before the rain – and the answer to that is the updraft that was caused by the building storms and falls eventually with the rain.

This “dirty rain” has left Houstonian motorists with more questions than answers at first. Still, it all falls to a minor inconvenience compared to other worse problems that plague Houston overall.