A survey of nearly 50,000 water networks nationwide revealed a staggering 324 different contaminants flowing out of American taps — with detectable levels of various pollutants showing up in nearly all water systems.
The findings, from this year’s update to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Tap Water Database, reveal that millions of people could be consuming water tainted with toxic chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive compounds, often at levels much higher than what scientists consider safe.
“This is a wake-up call,” Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at EWG, said in a statement. “Outdated federal regulations continue to leave millions of people at risk of exposure to harmful substances.”
The massive database provides a ZIP code-level window into the specific contaminants affecting community drinking water supplies, compiled from water quality data collected between 2021 and 2023.
Upon entering a specific ZIP code into the search bar, users can scroll down to select the utility that serves their community. The database then specifies the concentrations of “contaminants detected” alongside a comparison of EWG’s health guidelines.
Alongside the results is a caveat that “legal does not necessarily equal safe,” with a warning that in many cases, the “legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.”