What Chemicals Are In Your Tap Water? Check By ZIP Code In New Report

Story synopsis:

• An Environmental Working Group report details PFAS, nitrates, heavy metals, radioactive substances and other harmful substances in U.S. water supplies.
• Landmark rules to mitigate PFAS — “the most significant action on drinking water in a generation for some of the worst chemicals in drinking water,” according to the EWG.
• PFAS are showing up in record levels in wildlife and plants in New Mexico, prompting an alert to hunters and new health concerns about the “forever chemicals” detected in nearly every American’s blood, including newborns.

Americans who drink tap water could be getting a dangerous cocktail of hundreds of chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive substances every day, according to an analysis of the nation’s drinking water supply released Wednesday.

The Environmental Working Group, a research and environmental advocacy nonprofit organization, analyzed water quality data from nearly 50,000 water systems collected between 2021 and 2023.

It identified 324 contaminants in drinking water supplies across the country, with almost all community water systems having detectable contaminants. A search-by-ZIP-code function allows people to see what’s in their community’s drinking water.

The report comes amid federal government upheaval that jeopardizes landmark standards regulating PFAS — a dangerous, ubiquitous class of chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive issues and other serious health problems.

The final rules, approved in April, are “the most significant action on drinking water in a generation for some of the worst chemicals in drinking water — a tremendous public health plan,” Melanie Benesh, the EWG’s vice president of government affairs, told Patch.

“It means thousands of people are not going to get sick or die from serious, chronic diseases,” she said. “It shouldn’t be reversed. Lives and health are at stake.”

More than 143 million people are exposed to PFAS in their drinking water, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS have been detected in nearly every American’s blood, including newborns.

‘Real Concern’ Rules Will Be Rescinded

President Donald Trump’s “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review” memorandum in January directed agency and department heads to consider delaying the effective date of any final rules published in the Federal Register for 60 days pending review.

That’s not unusual any time there’s a change in the administration and agency leadership, Benesh said.

Lee Zeldin was sworn in as the 17th administrator of the EPA on Jan. 25. As a congressman representing New York’s 1st District from 2015 to 2023, he voted in favor of tougher regulation of PFAS.

Though a positive sign, Benesh said the EWG and other safe-water advocates have “real concerns that these landmark health protections for our drinking water will be significantly weakened and rolled back.”

Also in January, the Trump administration withdrew a proposed rule from the previous administration that would have subjected manufacturers to federal discharge limits on PFAS. The withdrawal means there is no federal limit on the amount of PFAS a manufacturer can release into waterways. That places greater burden on states to place limits on states.

Legislation pending in California would require the stature to pass an emergency resolution codifying the federal limits in the event that the EPA weakens the standards, Benesh noted.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if other states follow suit,” she said.

Dozens of states have adopted policies concerning PFAS.

Stay On PFAS Lawsuits

The Trump administration has also asked for a stay on pending litigation surrounding the PFAS standards. The final rules face a multidistrict legal challenge in U.S. District Court in South Carolina, a consolidation of 10,000 associated cases with tens of thousands of plaintiffs.

Defendants include large companies such as 3M, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva.

“It is imperative that we do everything we can to keep them in place,” Benesh said of the standards. “The Trump administration, on the whole, has been very sympathetic to chemical companies.”

The Biden administration also unlocked nearly $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement PFAS treatment measures through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Some of the money in the Safe Drinking Water Act revolving loan fund has already been distributed. But it’s unclear how Trump’s pause on infrastructure spending could affect PFAS mitigation, which many utilities would be unable to tackle without government help.

‘Record Levels’ Of PFAS In Animals

States in recent years have been forced to issue health advisories to hunters and others that PFAS is showing up in wild animals that are hunted for sport and sustenance. From Maine to Michigan and beyond, wildlife managers and scientists have been busy expanding testing as the scope of the problem widens.

Environmental regulators and health officials warned hunters in New Mexico earlier this year that PFAS had been found in record levels — some of the highest documented worldwide — in birds, small mammals and plants at a lake near Holloman Air Force Base.

Researchers contracted by the state tested muscle, liver and bone tissue in ducks, other birds and rodents as well as eggshells, algae and even skin shed by a rattlesnake.

In New Mexico, the concern centers on a lake that serves as the wastewater reservoir for Holloman Air Force Base. It sits at the edge of the base and near White Sands National Park. While hunting is now prohibited there, state officials are concerned that the lake serves as a layover for ducks and other migratory birds that could end up being harvested elsewhere.

“The levels of PFAS contamination in Holloman Lake are deeply concerning, particularly for hunters who may have consumed waterfowl from the area over the past decade,” Miranda Durham, the medical director for the state Department of Health, told The Associated Press.

Durham and other state officials used the report to put more pressure on federal officials amid ongoing legal battles over cleanup at Holloman and at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico.

Contamination, mostly from firefighting foam used widely in training exercises, has been detected at hundreds of military installations across the United States. Experts have said cleanup will stretch into the billions of dollars and will take years.

The More Tests, The More PFAS

The New Mexico study points to the need for additional testing of waterfowl and oryx samples to better characterize the risk to hunters outside the immediate footprint of contamination at the base and the lake.

Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, called the levels of PFAS in wildlife at the lake alarming. But she said they are not surprising given that the chemicals — used in nonstick pans and many other products — are pervasive in the environment.

“The situation at Holloman Lake highlights just how much more we need to understand about PFAS contamination in wildlife and the broader environment,” she said.

In Maine, the state wildlife agency is working with university researchers to track deer and turkey to understand how their movements could potentially influence exposure.

That state currently has advisories for three areas, including one that spans 25 square miles, where the risk is higher because of the historic use of contaminated fertilizer for fields — a practice now banned there.

“We’ve issued some advisories, but it’s not widespread like a landscape-level issue at all,” Nate Webb, the wildlife director for Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told The AP.

Still, Webb said it feels like the more sampling that’s done, the more places PFAS pops up.

What Else In The Water?

Other key findings in Wednesday’s EWG report include:

Volatile organic compounds: VOCs like trichloroethylene or TCE, perchloroethylene and benzene are widespread contaminants linked to industrial pollution and environmental persistence. These chemicals, even at low concentrations, can cause cancer, liver damage and neurological issues. They are found in tap water at levels ranging from parts per trillion to parts per billion.

Nitrate: Nitrates from farm runoff and wastewater can contaminate drinking water, especially in rural areas. Long-term exposure to high nitrate levels can cause serious health problems, including cancer, thyroid issues and harm to developing babies. Nitrate contamination is particularly dangerous for infants, especially when used in baby formula, as it can lead to life-threatening conditions like methemoglobinemia.

Heavy metals: Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral that causes bladder, lung and skin cancer as well as harm to the skin and lungs. Arsenic is found in drinking water in all 50 states

Hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, is a carcinogen made infamous by the Erin Brockovich case in California, and is in the drinking water of over 250 million Americans. There is no federal limit for chromium-6, despite its widespread presence and link to cancer and organ damage.

Disinfection byproducts: Chlorine disinfectants used to treat water can form harmful byproducts linked to cancer and reproductive health issues. These byproducts are consistently found in large water systems serving millions of people.

Radiological contaminants: Radium and uranium were detected in many water systems, sometimes exceeding EPA limits. Long-term exposure can lead to neurological disorders, developmental delays and organ damage. Radioactive elements like radium and uranium, naturally occurring or released from mining and industrial processes, increase cancer risk due to ionizing radiation.

Fluoride: While fluoride is added to water for dental health, high levels can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis and may harm children's neurodevelopment. Some communities have seen fluoride concentrations exceed recommended limits.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.