State of American Drinking Water
When most Americans drink a glass of tap water,
they're also getting a dose of industrial or agricultural contaminants linked to cancer, brain and nervous system damage, developmental defects, fertility problems or hormone disruption. That's the disturbing truth documented by EWG's Tap Water Database – the most complete source available on the quality of U.S. drinking water, aggregating and analyzing data from almost 50,000 public water utilities nationwide.
The vast majority of the nation's drinking water supplies
get a passing grade from federal and state regulatory agencies. However, many of the 250-plus contaminants detected through water sampling and testing are at levels that are perfectly legal under the Safe Drinking Water Act or state regulations, but well above levels authoritative scientific studies have found to pose health risks.
Unanswered questions
Utilities must treat their water to meet state and federal standards before piping it into homes, schools and businesses, but water treatment chemicals can themselves produce other potentially harmful contaminants. Utilities must also provide annual water quality reports to their customers, but those reports leave many unanswered questions.
Related Article via NPR
Which Water Is Best For Health? Hint: Don't Discount The Tap
EWG'S GUIDE: SAFE DRINKING WATER
Reduce your exposures to common drinking water pollutants with EWG's handy tipsheet.
Includes the latest news, tips, action alerts, promotions and more - from EWG.
EWG's Tap Water Database: What's in Your Drinking Water?
Look up your local water system to find out which pollutants might be of concern, and find suggestions on the best kinds of home filters to remove those chemicals.
