The US states with the cleanest tap water - Rhode Island is seventh

A new study reveals which states have the cleanest tap water in the US, with RI ranking seventh.

• Hawaii recorded the cleanest tap water with 156.42 water quality violations per 100,000 residents, the best performance across all states.
• California claimed second place with 179.58 violations per 100,000 people, while Minnesota secured third with 184.18.
• Alaska's water systems registered 21,239.63 violations per 100,000 residents, the worst in America and 136 times higher than Hawaii.

The analysis by residential protection plan experts at ProGuard, analyzed the most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Information System to rank each state based on the number of reported water quality violations.

The 10 states with the cleanest tap water

(Rank, State, Violations per 100,000 residents)

1 - Hawaii (156.42)
2 - California (179.58)
3 - Minnesota (184.18)
4 - Tennessee (187.33)
5 - Delaware (190.80
6 - Alabama (233.01)
7 - Rhode Island (243.30)
8 - South Carolina (257.51)
9 - Michigan (261.06)
10 - Florida (264.01)

California had the second-best water quality in the nation, with 179.58 violations per 100,000 people. California’s water comes from various sources, a few of which include the melting snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a network of rivers and reservoirs, and even groundwater basins. California's water treatment and monitoring network does an impressive job in quality control, considering how many water sources they control.

Minnesota ranked third, with 184.18 violations per 100,000 residents. Reports state that around 20% of residents in Minnesota use private wells, which is becoming a growing issue due to the fact that some are newly built, and others are rarely tested. The issue around this isn’t the wells themselves; it's due to agricultural run-off, which often introduces nitrates to otherwise safe drinking water.
Tennessee placed fourth with 187.33 recorded incidents. The state is recognized for the continued incorporation of rivers and lakes into the drinking water cycle. Despite this, around 30% of all streams in the state are considered too polluted to support aquatic life (and 40% are deemed unsafe for recreation).

Delaware rounded out the top five with 190.80 violations. Delaware's water comes from surface water and groundwater aquifers (which are an underground source of water). The state has water challenges in the form of PFAS (forever chemicals) from agricultural runoff, along with arsenic and heavy metals.

Ranking sixth through tenth position for the lowest violations per 100,000 people is Alabama with 233.01, Rhode Island with 243.30, South Carolina with 257.51, Michigan with 261.06, and Florida completed the top 10 with 264.01.

The five states with the most tap water violations

(Rank, State, Violations per 100,000 residents)

46 - Idaho (3,074.10)
47 - Vermont (4,382.58)
48 - Mississippi (5,286.75)
49 - Montana (6,565.60)
50 - Alaska (21,239.63)

Vermont ranked 47th with 4,382.58 violations per 100,000 residents, nearly 28 times more than Hawaii's figure.

Mississippi followed in 48th place with 5,286.75 violations per 100,000 people.

Montana ranked 49th with 6,565.60 violations, showing major challenges in maintaining consistent water quality across its systems throughout the year.

Alaska reported the worst violation rate in America at 21,239.63 per 100,000 residents, a staggering 136 times higher than top-ranked Hawaii.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for ProGuard said:

“Hawaii recorded the fewest water system violations in 2024, and what really stands out is how much cleaner the water systems are in the top-performing states compared to those at the bottom of the list. Clean, treated water is an incredibly valuable resource, but one that’s often lost to hidden leaks beneath our feet.

“Undetected slab leaks waste massive amounts of clean, treated water and create serious environmental problems. A tiny leak of just one drip per second wastes roughly 3,000 gallons annually, but larger hidden leaks under concrete foundations can waste tens of thousands of gallons before anyone notices.

“California's strong showing is particularly remarkable considering its ongoing water challenges. People across all states can help preserve this essential resource by quickly identifying and fixing hidden leaks, reducing waste of treated water that simply seeps back into the ground unused.
“The enormous gap between the best and worst-ranked states reveals just how much improvement remains possible. Homeowners can support water conservation efforts through timely leak detection and repairs, particularly in states facing drought conditions."

Methodology: This study analyzes data from the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System on total violations in community water systems throughout 2024 by states to determine which states have the cleanest tap water.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency