Clean, safe water is one of the most basic needs there is. But for many people in the U.S., it isn't a given. Urbanization, aging infrastructure, and industrial history have all left certain states with more contaminated drinking water than others.
Common Tap Water Contaminants
States with worse tap water tend to have higher levels of one or more of these:
- Forever chemicals: The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that at least 45% of the nation's tap water contains forever chemicals (PFAS), chemicals that essentially don't break down.
- Lead: One of the most common contaminants in drinking water, lead typically leaches in from aging pipes and corrosion in distribution systems.
- Pesticides and herbicides: Used to control insects and weeds, these chemicals enter water supplies through agricultural and residential runoff and carry their own health risks.
A state's water systems can also earn a "worst" reputation based on how many EPA violations they rack up in a given year. Contaminants and violations together are why filtered water is more necessity than luxury in some parts of the country.
Florida
EWG testing has found elevated PFAS levels in several major metro areas, including Miami, among others.
Florida's water utilities are also frequently disrupted by hurricanes. In 2022, Hurricane Ian caused wastewater treatment plants to overflow, introducing bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants into the water supply, effects that can take months to fully resolve. In the meantime, filtration is a practical safeguard.
- Number of lead pipes (2022 estimate): 1,159,300
- EPA drinking water violations (2022): 1,587
New Jersey
The EPA's action level for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion. Newark's water crisis, which drew national attention starting in 2019, involved lead levels well above that threshold, tied to the high number of lead pipes still in use across the state at the time. The city responded by distributing free water filters to residents and recommending filters specifically rated to reduce lead.
Boiling water doesn't reduce or remove lead; only filtration or pipe replacement addresses it directly.
- Number of lead pipes (2022 estimate): 349,357
- EPA drinking water violations (2022): 1,153
Pennsylvania
Nearly all of Pennsylvania's 13 million residents are served by water systems with at least one contaminant measured above health guidelines. A 2023 USGS study of the state's rivers and streams, a common drinking water source, found that 76% of those tested contained forever chemicals.
Violations by public water systems also rose steadily from 2020 to 2022.
- Number of lead pipes (2022 estimate): 688,697
- EPA drinking water violations (2022): 3,957
Illinois
Public water system violations in Illinois rose steadily from 2019 to 2022, nearly doubling in the first year alone, and lead levels in the state's drinking water, Chicago's in particular, have drawn specific EPA attention. Children remain the population most at risk from lead exposure in drinking water.
- Number of lead pipes (2022 estimate): 1,043,294
- EPA drinking water violations (2022): 1,386
Texas
When the state's power grid failed during an unprecedented winter storm in February 2021, millions of Texans were told to boil their water before use. Nearly two weeks later, hundreds of thousands of residents were still under that advisory. Today, EWG's tap water database for Texas lists 41 contaminants detected above health guidelines and 13 exceeding legal limits statewide.
- Number of lead pipes (2022 estimate): 647,640
- EPA drinking water violations (2022): 3,192
Drink Cleaner Water
Whether or not you live in one of these states, filtering your water is a reasonable step toward drinking cleaner, better-tasting water. ZeroWater's 5-stage filters are IAPMO certified to reduce PFOA/PFOS (99.8%), lead (up to 98.9%), chromium, and mercury, and remove up to 99.6% of Total Dissolved Solids.
Headed to or living in a college town? Culligan's College Town Water Quality Study ranked lead and PFAS levels across the 50 largest U.S. college towns, a useful companion look at contamination data beyond just these five states.
Learn more about how ZeroWater's filtration systems work, and find the one that fits your home.
Sources:
"PFAS Chemicals Detected in Many Rivers and Streams Across Pennsylvania" - United States Geological Survey - https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/pfas-chemicals-detected-many-rivers-and-streams-across-pennsylvania
"EWG's Tap Water Database, Texas" - Environmental Working Group - https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/state.php?stab=TX
"PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water" - Environmental Working Group - https://www.ewg.org/research/national-pfas-testing
