The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog organization, published its latest Tap Water Database. The EWG’s latest analysis includes water quality data collected between 2021 and 2023 from nearly 50,000 water systems. It identified 324 contaminants in drinking water across the country, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The release of the database could cause concern from members of the public who may see headlines about contaminated drinking water.
The EWG promotes its Tap Water Database as a tool to empower people across the United States to view local water quality. By entering a ZIP code, users can find detailed information about the contaminants in the corresponding water supply, including information about water filters.
Alarming news coverage may scare utility customers and cause phone calls about water quality. It’s important to note the levels reported in most cases listed in the EWG database fall below limits established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), whereas EWG has developed independent health-based standards that are typically more stringent than those of the USEPA.
It is also important to recognize the arduous and intensely scrutinized public process used by USEPA to identify contaminants of concern, evaluate health impacts, and ultimately propose and finalize drinking water regulations. Water systems are encouraged to remind concerned citizens that the USEPA requires water systems to provide information to consumers annually in the form of the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) and tell them where they can find the most recent CCR.