Concerns regarding the water quality crisis in the United States continue to escalate. Recent findings indicate that the issue is more widespread than initially believed, affecting nearly 100 million Americans with unregulated pollutants. Yet, choosing bottled water isn’t a viable solution and efforts must be made to improve our water resources instead of sidestepping the problem.
As infrastructure advancements for U.S. water systems require time—while federal water safety regulations confront political challenges into late 2025—there are effective strategies you can implement immediately to safeguard your family if you suspect water contamination.
Initial Steps to Consider
According to recent studies, around 97 million Americans have encountered unregulated substances in their drinking water, with Hispanic and Black communities being disproportionately impacted. Furthermore, 172 million individuals across the United States have water sources contaminated with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.” Despite these alarming statistics, many Americans still enjoy safe tap water.
Before you invest in solutions, assess your local water quality. In many instances, it is also advisable to test the water at your residence. Some issues might only necessitate point-of-use treatment for drinking water, while others could require point-of-entry, or total home treatment solutions. The more you understand your water’s condition, the more efficiently you can address the issue.
Lead: A Lasting Danger
The issue of lead pipes is significant. Plumbing systems were manufactured with lead up until the 1980s.
By 2024, it is estimated that 9.2 million households across the United States are still receiving drinking water through lead service lines. States heavily impacted include Illinois, which has over 1 million lead pipes, Ohio with 745,000, and Florida, although figures for Florida are debated among experts.
You can request a test for lead in your home’s water. Contact your water utility to locate your service pipes, but also examine your home for lead pipe signs using the EPA’s guidance.
Federal Lead Pipe Regulations: An Overview
In October 2024, the Biden administration announced final regulations mandating the replacement of all lead service lines over the next decade. This decision marked a departure from the prior Trump administration’s strategies, which had decelerated infrastructure replacements. The Biden initiative prescribed:
- Complete replacement of all lead pipes within 10 years (by 2037)
- Enhanced testing requirements for drinking water
- Lower action thresholds (from 15 ppb to 10 ppb)
- Better communication so families are kept informed about lead hazards
However, the execution of the regulation is clouded by uncertainties under the current Trump administration. In August 2025, the EPA declared its intention to defend the regulations against industry legal challenges but noted that it would develop ‘practical implementation flexibilities’—a phrase that leaves environmental advocates concerned about the possibility of loopholes weakening enforcement.
Moreover, Republicans in Congress attempted to repeal the regulations in early 2025, yet this move was effectively halted in May 2025 due to public outcry.
Financial Support Issues: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (established in 2021) allocated $15 billion specifically for the replacement of lead service lines through 2026. Major municipalities like Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Denver received considerable funding to expedite their replacement efforts. Nonetheless, the Trump administration has proposed deep cuts to local water infrastructure budgeting, raising doubts about the sustainability of these replacement initiatives.
Immediate Steps You Can Take
Although replacing lead pipes can be costly, it stands as the safest and most rational approach. There are federal grants available to assist with replacing residential pipes. Reach out to your local utility for information on any incentives or local funding opportunities.
In the interim, you might consider investing in water filters that are certified to remove lead. Seek filters that are NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified and validated to reduce lead concentrations from 150 ppb to 10 ppb or lower (or even 5 ppb under newer standards). In situations involving lead pipes, such as in Newark, NJ, these filters might be provided directly by your water supplier.
Running the tap to flush any water that has been sitting in the pipes can help mitigate corrosion, but it can result in significant water waste over time.
Compromised Well Water
For those relying on a well, regular testing is essential to both identify contaminants in your water and maintain a record of water quality, particularly if events upstream could affect your source.
Currently, over 23 million households in the U.S. depend on private wells for their drinking water. A USGS survey encompassing 2,100 private wells discovered that roughly one in five had one or more contaminants at levels surpassing health benchmarks.
In certain regions, as many as 90% of rural wells are contaminated with manure from local farms. A 2025 report indicated that fewer than 20% of well water users test their drinking water as frequently as health advisers recommend.
PFAS Contamination in Groundwater
Recent studies show that between 71 to 95 million people in the contiguous U.S. may depend on groundwater that has detectable levels of PFAS. The states with the largest populations at risk include Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
Your local health department or nearby utilities can provide you with information on noteworthy contaminants in your vicinity. Make sure to have your well tested regularly for the relevant contaminants.
If your water does not meet safety standards, reach out to your community’s public health department for treatment suggestions. On-site treatment methods, including disinfection, distillation, and filtration, are usually effective; however, always retest your water to confirm that the treatment was successful. Depending on the type of contaminant, its concentration, and the status of the well, you might need to switch to an alternative water supply.
Improving Your Water Quality
The method for treating your household water will depend on the specific issue.
The CDC offers a comprehensive guide for selecting an appropriate water treatment solution. If you choose to use filtration, remember to keep it maintained— replace your filters routinely. Neglected filters can exacerbate water quality issues.
PFAS Filtration Solutions
For PFAS-related contaminants impacting 165 million Americans according to the 2025 EPA data, seek filters that comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or 58 designed for PFAS reduction.
PFAS regulations being reviewed: In April 2024, the Biden administration’s EPA established maximum contaminant limits for six PFAS in drinking water—marking the first federal benchmarks of their kind. However, by May 2025, the Trump-era EPA indicated it would repeal the maximum standards for four of the compounds, retaining controls only for PFOA and PFOS. This partial rollback has faced criticism from public health advocates who are concerned it will weaken accountability for polluters.
Current certifications for PFAS filters must ensure systems reduce PFAS concentrations to below 20 parts per trillion. Note that certification standards as of 2024 do not yet meet the EPA’s lower limits of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS; however, reducing any level of PFAS in your water is advantageous. Refer to NSF’s database for certified PFAS filters.
Why Relying on Bottled Water Is Insufficient
While you may opt for bottled water temporarily as you address your water quality issues, it is not a permanent solution.
Recent analyses indicate that plastic contamination levels in bottled water are significantly higher than previously understood. A 2024 study from Columbia University discovered an average of 240,000 plastic particles per liter of bottled water—10 to 100 times to what earlier research found. Roughly 90% of these pieces were nanoplastics (less than 1 micrometer in size), while the remaining were microplastics.
These microplastics have been identified in human blood, lung tissues, placentas, and other biological systems. Although long-term health impacts remain under investigation, some studies suggest potential health risks may include endocrine disruptions, inflammatory responses, and cellular damage. Individuals relying on bottled water are estimated to consume approximately 90,000 extra microplastic particles annually compared to those who drink tap water.
A 2024 survey revealed that 83% of Americans express concern regarding microplastics in their drinking water, with concern rising by 350% from 2023 to 2024.
Beyond microplastic contamination, bottled water is often not safer than tap water itself. It results in massive waste, carries a higher cost over time, and typically consists of repurposed tap water.
Present Condition of U.S. Drinking Water
Recent statistics reveal:
- 1.1 million people in the U.S. fall ill each year due to contaminants in drinking water
- EWG’s analysis for 2024 of nearly 50,000 water systems detected 324 pollutants in drinking water nationwide
- 56% of Americans are very concerned about polluted drinking water, as per polling conducted in 2024
- Over 25 million Americans rely on the poorest water systems in the country
Uncertain Regulations: As of October 2025, several federal drinking water protections remain in limbo. The Trump administration has proposed re-evaluating or rolling back several environmental regulations, which includes a potential rollback of PFAS standards and possible dilution of the lead pipe replacement rules. Given this regulatory situation, individual water filtration and testing is increasingly crucial for safeguarding the health of your family.
Steps to Take
The key takeaway: With federal water protections in flux, taking personal responsibility for your water’s safety is essential. Test your water quality, invest in suitable certified filtration systems, ensure their proper upkeep, and resist the inclination to depend on bottled water as a fix. While large-scale improvements to U.S. water infrastructure continue to encounter political and budgetary obstacles, taking these proactive steps can help secure the health of you and your family.
For more information, check out:
- EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791
- State-Certified Drinking Water Laboratories
- NSF Certified Product Database
- EWG’s Tap Water Database
Editor’s Note: This article was initially published on September 30, 2019, and underwent substantial revisions in October 2025.
