Best Tap Water in the US

Introduction

The quality of tap water in the US varies greatly from state to state, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although the EPA has enforced strict standards on public drinking water since 1974, an analysis of state-level data from 2016 found that there were still 7.3 million Americans in over 5,000 communities across 23 states who were drinking water with unacceptable levels of contaminants. The EPA’s own data reveals that certain states are much better at providing safe drinking water than others. For instance, Rhode Island and New York lead the way when it comes to compliance with national standards for safe drinking water; thus far in 2019, 99% of both states’ tests have met or exceeded federal standards. On the other end of the spectrum are states like Pennsylvania and Arizona, where only 88% and 76% of their tests respectively have passed inspection. Even more concerning is that many states have not yet tested for up to 20 known contaminants required by federal law; as such, even if they pass their tests now, future tests may reveal dangerous levels of pollutants that had previously gone undetected. Regardless, it is clear that there is a wide disparity between various states when it comes to providing safe tap water for its citizens.

Water Quality in the US

The Environmental Protection Agency in the United States is responsible for monitoring tap water quality across all 50 states. In order to measure the quality of tap water, the EPA pursues a multi-faceted approach that incorporates both chemical and biological indicators. The agency has established regulatory limits for over 90 contaminants, including lead, arsenic, nitrates and chlorine, as well as hundreds of organic compounds such as pesticides, industrial solvents, pharmaceuticals and byproducts from disinfectants. They also use various other techniques to determine if aquatic life can safely live in a given body of water or if algal blooms are present. Furthermore, they utilize biological testing to identify potentially dangerous microorganisms such as E. coli and cryptosporidium in drinking water sources. Each state is then required to submit regular reports to the EPA summarizing the results of these tests over a period of time so any changes in quality can be detected quickly. The EPA’s monitoring of tap water quality in the US not only protects human health but also aquatic ecosystems across the country.