worst water quality by state

28 WSBT | REPORT: Indiana has worst water pollution in the country, 2014. In 2019, 26 suppliers were found to have illegal levels of THMs, and in 2017, a report by the NRDC ranked Florida second, behind Texas, in states with SDWA violations by population.17 As said above, many of these concerns are due to events such as flooding, which lead to community water boiling orders. The 2019 EWG survey found that two state utilities, supplying up to 21,058 people, delivered water with excess levels of fluoride. Major urban populations in Colorado have taken home several AWWA clean water awards in the last few years. EWG's Tap Water Database 2021 Update. 31 Iowa Public Radio | Study Finds Thousands Of Iowans Are Drinking Contaminated Well Water, 2019. Cape Girardeau tops the hardness table for large urban areas in Missouri, with 15 grains per gallon.56 Overall, the state has average to moderately hard water. North Dakota water is slightly harder than average at 7-17 grains per gallon. In 2018, two counties were issued a state of emergency of toxins in the water supply. In 2016, the water quality report found Tulsa's drinking water to be completely free of bacteria and safe for everyone to drink. 90 Vermont Department of Health | Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) Tracker, (Accessed) 2020. 17 NRDC | Threats on tap, 2017. Iowa Public Radio | Study Finds Thousands Of Iowans Are Drinking Contaminated Well Water, Kansas City News | KC Water: Despite alerts, murkier tap water is safe to drink, KC Water Services | 2017 Water Quality Report, WFPL | Forever Chemicals Found In Drinking Water Across Kentucky, University of Kentucky | Limestone, Kentucky Geological Survey, The News Star | Northeastern Louisiana tap water systems top contaminant levels. 77 OWRB | Groundwater, (Accessed) 2020. The result is a tap water-purity rivaling the most expensive bottled water brands. *The STORET Warehouse was decommissioned on June 29, 2018. Oklahoma - 726 4. Most homes in Pennsylvania will experience hard tap water. 74 EPA | Ohio EPA detects pfas in bridgeport public water system, 2020. Any alarming contaminants? With such varied geography and large population size, California is a complex picture when it comes to water quality. Some cities and jurisdictions, such as Ann Arbor, treat their public water to slightly reduce hardness.48. As is the case with many rural states, Maine water quality can be variable and prone to contamination, especially for the many residents who use private wells. The EWG estimates that nearly 3 million people may have been exposed to significant (though legal) levels of radium, through water from 368 Utah utility systems. 6 University of Arizona | Nitrate Contamination Potential in Arizona Groundwater: Implications for Drinking Water Wells, 2011. Missouri. Tennessee. Any alarming contaminants? Vermont Department of Health | Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) Tracker, VT Digger | Early season blue-green algal bloom alerts at a new high, WSWS | 300,000 in West Virginia remain without safe water for fourth day, WPR | Effort To Remove Lead Water Lines An Uphill Battle, EPA | Basic Information about Wyoming and Tribal Drinking Water Programs. While common, and mostly within legal limits, these chemicals are considered carcinogenic when consumed regularly. It's an increasingly important urban center as well Atlanta is one of the country's fastest-growing metro areas, and transplants from around the nation are flocking to the sprawling city. Since 2014, the number of PWS with any violation has reduced by over 200, according to the EPA ECHO database. Whats the water hardness/softness? Whats the water hardness/softness? How has the water quality in our streams and rivers changed? Hows the tap water? Ninety-five percent of the community water systems in New Hampshire are small, local systems, serving less than 3000 people.62 This results in variability in the state water supply, which means New Hampshire gets 42nd place in the U.S. News survey. 7 EPCOR Water | Water Quality Report: Bullhead City, Arizona, 2016. With an overall score of 39.79, Oceanside finished just above Moreno Valley, CA, and Garden Grove, CA to be ranked as the 3 cities with the worst water quality. With more residents drinking from surface water sources (lakes, rivers, and reservoirs) than groundwater, the potential for contamination in New Jerseys water supply is higher than in many states.64 The predominant use of surface water also means that Jerseys water is vulnerable to contamination from microorganisms and organic matter. 8 overall in the U.S. Bad news: Florida also made CNBC's "10 worst states to live and work in" list for 2023. 15. and 14. 87 Texas Tribune | Drinking water contamination pronounced in Texas rural areas, 2018. Radium is a radioactive element, which therefore makes it a cancer risk. Shutterstock Number of Contaminants: 10 Other Detected Contaminants: 18 Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Utilities that accumulated/accrued the most violation points as of April 2019 to March 2021 in Virginia. Any alarming contaminants? The Seattle and Tacoma metro areas enjoy mineral levels of around 1 grain per gallon.92. Hows the tap water? Hows the tap water? While lead contamination is not a widespread issue in Massachusetts, five community water supplies were found to have actionable levels of the metal in the 2019 annual state water quality report.46. The same may not be true of the states surface water, however. Any alarming contaminants? Though very common in areas with large agricultural presences, nitrates are still unwanted in drinking water, as high levels in the body can begin to elicit harmful reactions. Recently, The Denver Post reported on a scheme by Denver water to begin sending residents Brita filters as of April 2020.13. New Mexico has hard water. Though it ranks 17th in the U.S. News survey, the Maryland department of resources itself admits that many areas of the state have water levels exceeding management levels42. According to a University of Georgia survey, there may be a wider trend for contaminants in Georgia well water that cant be detected by taste or smellup to 31 % of wells may have bacterial contamination.20, Whats the water hardness/softness? But that might depend on your viewpoint. While many states enjoy clean and healthy tap water, others struggle to comply with EPA standards. Power came up with the score by getting feedback from customers on six things: quality . Alongside its neighbor states, Georgia sits in the top tier of public water systems, according to the U.S. News survey. 40. U.S. News puts Delaware in the middle when it comes to drinking water quality, with slightly less than average violations per hundred-thousand customers. What Should I Do if I Have Poor Quality Drinking Water? Hamilton, Ohio. On the more positive side, Pennsylvanias water supply earned five AWWA 2019 partner program awards across several counties, with the Bristol Surface Water Treatment Plant competing in the Best of the Best taste test awards. Hows the tap water? Like many areas of the North East, the water in Connecticut is hard. 96 DHS | Drinking Water Concerns, (Accessed 2020). Luckily almost all THMs and other organic chemicals can be filtered at home by an activated carbon filter. Hows the tap water? The city of Baltimore tops the charts for water hardness in Maryland, with 185 PPM or 11 grains per gallon. Uranium can appear in tap water as a naturally occurring mineral but is only usually found in its metallic state as a byproduct of industry. In 2014, the town of Flint unsuccessfully attempted to switch their water source to the Flint River, resulting in outbreaks of E.coli, Legionnaires disease, and widespread lead contamination, affecting the health of Flints childrenin many cases permanently. This results in hard water for much of the state.51. Hows the tap water? U.S. News ranks Pennsylvania as the 40th best state in the country for drinking water quality. Water quality has been improving in North Dakota, with both serious and nonserious utility violations consistently decreasing since 2014. According to the 2018 State of Delaware compliance report, two-thirds of Delaware households are connected to public water systems that use groundwater15, which increases the risk of contamination from nitrates man-made sources, such as industrial runoff. As of 3 p.m. Monday, Detroit was No. Hows the tap water? Ohio - 748 8. Any alarming contaminants? and a recent study has found oklahoma has the third worst water quality in the us. Limestone, dolomite, and other carbonate formations underlie many counties in Minnesota, along with the rest of the upper Midwest. 76 Hydroviv | Water quality report, 2019. 82 Providence Water | Water quality FAQ, (Accessed) 2020. in studio this morning to talk with us though, shelley shard with the state department of environmental quality to give us all the details. Like many southern states, the overall data on contaminants makes for good reading, with violations by Flordia suppliers decreasing, according to the EPA. While most Wisconsin tap water contains a similar cocktail of organic chemicals, minerals, metals, and other contaminants as the rest of the US, higher than average concentrations of these pollutants in many counties means this state is listed as 31st in the U.S News table. 414 of water systems tested in 2019 showed any contamination violations. Some Idaho utilities have had issues with arsenic contamination, to the extent that the EPA retracted its approval of Idahos water quality standards in 2019.24 Since then, accepted arsenic contamination levels have been reduced in many local regions. 49 Minnesota PCA | The state of groundwater, (Accessed) 2020. Any alarming contaminants? The State Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS/STATE) is a database designed by the EPA to help states run their drinking water programs.15 It includes concentrations of regulated contaminants and is more useful than SDWIS/FED for estimating hazards and exposures from drinking water at a state or local level. Hows the tap water? Whats the water hardness/softness? Texas - 737 6. Whats the water hardness/softness? Hows the tap water? Illinois is a hard water state, thanks to rich deposits of magnesium and calcium in the area.27. To combat this contaminant, a new house bill has been put forward to the state legislature to introduce mandatory testing, maximum contaminant levels, and possible treatment techniquesalthough those treatments have not yet been begun.94, Whats the water hardness/softness? 45 National Geographic Newsroom | Boston Wins Annual Tap Water Taste Contest, 2014. New Jersey follows the trend for the Northeast as a mostly soft water state. Any alarming contaminants? Other prominent contaminants in the area include THMs and bromodichloromethane, which are drank by as many as 5.5 million Washingtonians. Aside from placing 46th in the U.S. News survey, West Virginia has endured recent serious contamination events, particularly the 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill, which left 300,000 state residents without safe tap water.93 While contaminants in affected counties should now have returned to safe levels, the presence of chemical traces in the water supply can persist at lower levels for much longer. Between 2012 to 2021, American Samoa had the highest rate of violations per public water system at 133.2, followed by West Virginia at 65.3, and then Puerto Rico at 42.7. Ongoing crises across the country have highlighted the continued fight for access to clean drinking water. With these risks, we advise regularly testing well water sources used for drinking. 25 WaterWorld | Champaign of water Illinois American takes AWWA best taste award for second year, 2006. Its often found in higher amounts in those areas using a lot of groundwater (such as Alaska), but it can also leach into the water supply from fracking and other methods of oil extraction, which may present issues for those Alaskans living near refineries. 5 USGS | Water Resources Data for Alaska, 2003. Lead piping also remains a concern in many areas of the state.97, Whats the water hardness/softness? Any alarming contaminants? all right. Any alarming contaminants? 36 University of Kentucky | Limestone, Kentucky Geological Survey, (Accessed, 2020). The Water Quality Portal (WQP) uses the Water Quality Exchange (WQX) data format to share over 380 million water quality data records from 900 federal, state, tribal and other partners. At large utilities, such as Bear Creek (East and West), the EWG found levels of trihalomethanes 92 times higher than their recommended levels. Contaminants from farming and reactions with organic matter are of biggest concern to Mississippians. In order to find out more about levels of lead contamination in the state, researchers at the University of Mississippi have been carrying out tests in homes across 16 counties, issuing water filters if and when high concentrations of the metal are found. However, over 80% of Delawareans source their water from public infrastructure. 71 University of NC | Water Quality of Private Drinking Water Wells in North Carolina, 2020. This makes Las Vegas one of the hardest-water cities in the entire country.61. Hows the tap water? However, high general water standards are often offset by common local issues with contamination. 60 FOX 5 | Nevada mulls EPA reversal of Obama era drinking water rules, 2020. Hows the tap water? The proposal targets six notorious PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX. What Is Low-quality Water? 70 News Observer | Brunswick County, NC has most PFAS water pollution: study, 2020. Whats the water hardness/softness? In general, the quality of water sources in South Dakota seems to be deteriorating, with a recent report by the state environment department finding that nearly 80% of rivers and streams are not fit for designated purposes (swimming, fishing, drinking, etc.)85. Ron DeSantis reacts after signing HB 7, the Individual . As such, please use this resource as a general guide rather than the authority on state water. Whats the water hardness/softness? 54 University of Mississippi | The Case of Lead in the Mississippi Delta, 2018. Hows the tap water? In other words, one state can be home to drastically different types of tap water, depending on the exact geography and infrastructure of a particular location. 37 The News Star | Northeastern Louisiana tap water systems top contaminant levels, 2019. Whats the water hardness/softness? Hows the tap water? New Yorkers can enjoy soft to moderately hard water, whichwhile good news for appliances and hairstylesdoes not support the widely held idea that New York water is a key ingredient in its famous bagels.69. There are some areas, such as Spring Hollow and Retreat, that buck the trend with hard water sources.95. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, large regions are experiencing issues with water availability and nitrate contamination.49 State water treatment works are effective, however, with Minnesota sitting 14th, between California and Virginia, in the U.S. News survey. Pennsylvania - 748 7. 93 WSWS | 300,000 in West Virginia remain without safe water for fourth day, 2014. thank you for . Oklahoma. Naturally occurring iron and manganese deposits can cause New Hampshire water to be both hard and metallic-tasting. Today, Flints water has been repeatedly shown to meet or exceed EPA requirements, though there remains a significant and understandable lack of public trust in such claims.47 Across the state more widely, its not all bad news: in 2019, the City of Cadillacs tap water was tasty enough to compete in the AWWA Best of the Best taste test. Floridas water quality is a mixed bag. As a result, Kentucky not only has a world-famous cave system but harder water than average across most of the state. However, two Connecticut suppliers were awarded the AWWAs 20-Year Directors Award for Water Treatment in 2019. Alaska is home to 40% of the entire nations surface water, says the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 4. Whats the water hardness/softness? Some of the softest water in the state is found in its major urban centers, with Portland enjoying mineral levels of around 3-8 parts per million.80. 89 Utah Geological Survey | Does Utah Really Use More Water Than Any Other State?, (Accessed) 2020. Connecticut Almost 67% of the state's . Any alarming contaminants? 81 Providence Journal | A lurking danger for RIs drinking water, 2019. The air is currently unhealthy for sensitive groups; individuals with heart or lung disease, older . Hows the tap water? Although the U.S. has one of the safest and cleanest water supplies in the world, millions of Americans are exposed to unsafe drinking water every day. Utah Geological Survey | Does Utah Really Use More Water Than Any Other State? According to EWG, 2019s review of public utilities found three systems in breach of recommended guidelines for levels of haloacetic acids, serving a total of 13,469 residents. Any alarming contaminants? Quality Test Rankings Beg to Differ, 2017. 91 VT Digger | Early season blue-green algal bloom alerts at a new high, 2019. A large proportion of state utilities in Oklahoma provide water with a significant level of THMs. Likewise, places with hard water-causing limestone bedrock wont see it shifting anytime soon. 27 St. Charles, IL | Water Hardness, 2018. State of alabama | Public Drinking water annual compliance report and summary for 2019, 2019. quality whole-house water filter for well water, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation | water Quality Standards, Assessment, & Restoration, University of Arizona | Nitrate Contamination Potential in Arizona Groundwater: Implications for Drinking Water Wells, EPCOR Water | Water Quality Report: Bullhead City, Arizona. Whats the water hardness/softness? Because it is radioactive, uranium can decay into radium, which, if consumed regularly in significant amounts, can affect kidney function, leading to unwanted inflammation19. Radioactive metals can occur in water sources due to erosion natural deposits, but theyre still worth filtering for at home. Prolonged exposure to thallium has been shown to affect cellular health and may cause hair loss, liver damage, and reduced sperm motility.

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