Best Tap Water in the US

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Table

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.

#StateWater Quality Regulation Violations
1Hawaii2
2District of Columbia7
3Nebraska121
4Delaware131
5Kentucky142
6South Carolina196
7North Dakota199
8Rhode Island243
9South Dakota303
10Nevada358
11Alabama376
12Maryland400
13Massachusetts545
14Minnesota545
15Wyoming632
16Tennessee671
17New Hampshire673
18Utah815
19Iowa852
20Mississippi1,129
21Arkansas1,135
22Kansas1,140
23Virginia1,288
24Georgia1,312
25Vermont1,376
26Missouri1,820
27California2,038
28Montana2,092
29Oregon2,317
30Idaho2,503
31North Carolina2,877
32Connecticut2,900
33Wisconsin2,903
34Maine2,907
35Colorado2,929
36Louisiana3,103
37Arizona3,122
38Florida3,192
39Ohio3,598
40New Mexico3,700
41New Jersey3,815
42Washington3,907
43Indiana4,612
44Illinois4,637
45Alaska4,650
46Michigan5,111
47Oklahoma5,379
48New York5,607
49West Virginia8,490
50Pennsylvania21,527
51Texas23,628

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.

Water Quality Regulation Violations by State

Alabama

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376

Ranked in the US

#11

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Alaska

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4,650

Ranked in the US

#45

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Arizona

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3,122

Ranked in the US

#37

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Arkansas

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1,135

Ranked in the US

#21

Water Quality Regulation Violations

California

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2,038

Ranked in the US

#27

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Colorado

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2,929

Ranked in the US

#35

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Connecticut

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2,900

Ranked in the US

#32

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Delaware

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131

Ranked in the US

#4

Water Quality Regulation Violations

District of Columbia

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7

Ranked in the US

#2

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Florida

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3,192

Ranked in the US

#38

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Georgia

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1,312

Ranked in the US

#24

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Hawaii

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2

Ranked in the US

#1

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Idaho

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2,503

Ranked in the US

#30

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Illinois

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4,637

Ranked in the US

#44

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Indiana

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4,612

Ranked in the US

#43

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Iowa

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852

Ranked in the US

#19

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Kansas

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1,140

Ranked in the US

#22

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Kentucky

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142

Ranked in the US

#5

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Louisiana

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3,103

Ranked in the US

#36

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Maine

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2,907

Ranked in the US

#34

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Maryland

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400

Ranked in the US

#12

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Massachusetts

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545

Ranked in the US

#13

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Michigan

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5,111

Ranked in the US

#46

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Minnesota

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545

Ranked in the US

#14

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Mississippi

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1,129

Ranked in the US

#20

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Missouri

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1,820

Ranked in the US

#26

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Montana

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2,092

Ranked in the US

#28

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Nebraska

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121

Ranked in the US

#3

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Nevada

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358

Ranked in the US

#10

Water Quality Regulation Violations

New Hampshire

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673

Ranked in the US

#17

Water Quality Regulation Violations

New Jersey

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3,815

Ranked in the US

#41

Water Quality Regulation Violations

New Mexico

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3,700

Ranked in the US

#40

Water Quality Regulation Violations

New York

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5,607

Ranked in the US

#48

Water Quality Regulation Violations

North Carolina

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2,877

Ranked in the US

#31

Water Quality Regulation Violations

North Dakota

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199

Ranked in the US

#7

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Ohio

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3,598

Ranked in the US

#39

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Oklahoma

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5,379

Ranked in the US

#47

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Oregon

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2,317

Ranked in the US

#29

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Pennsylvania

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21,527

Ranked in the US

#50

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Rhode Island

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243

Ranked in the US

#8

Water Quality Regulation Violations

South Carolina

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196

Ranked in the US

#6

Water Quality Regulation Violations

South Dakota

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303

Ranked in the US

#9

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Tennessee

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671

Ranked in the US

#16

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Texas

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23,628

Ranked in the US

#51

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Utah

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815

Ranked in the US

#18

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Vermont

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1,376

Ranked in the US

#25

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Virginia

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1,288

Ranked in the US

#23

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Washington

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3,907

Ranked in the US

#42

Water Quality Regulation Violations

West Virginia

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8,490

Ranked in the US

#49

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Wisconsin

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2,903

Ranked in the US

#33

Water Quality Regulation Violations

Wyoming

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632

Ranked in the US

#15

Water Quality Regulation Violations