NEWSWEEK – Data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows how many Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) violations were recorded in each state in 2023, with Pennsylvania leading the pack by far.
The SDWA groups violations into three main categories.
These include health-based violations—such as failure to remove harmful chemicals or pathogens—monitoring and reporting violations, and other violations, which may include failing to notify the public about water quality issues.
According to the data, Pennsylvania had the most water violations in 2023, with 24,525, followed by Texas with 15,340 and West Virginia with 7,473. 14,808 of Pennsylvania’s violations were related to monitoring and reporting.
Fourth was New York with 6,743 violations, fifth was Oklahoma with 5,188, sixth was Florida with 5,187, and seventh came Oregon with 5,140. In 8th, 9th and 10th place were Alaska, Michigan and Illinois, with 4,715, 4,551 and 4,469 violations, respectively.
Which States Have the Cleanest Drinking Water?
The state with the fewest violations was Hawaii, with a mere two, followed by Delaware with 117, Kentucky with 139 and Nebraska with 190. The rest of the bottom ten include North Dakota at 233, South Carolina at 252, South Dakota at 265, Minnesota at 369, Rhode Island at 392 and Maryland at 480.
These violations are assigned to the individual public water systems (PWS) responsible, of which each state has thousands. Of Pennsylvania’s 8,083 PWS, 3,660—45 percent—were had at least one violation.
These drinking water violations, especially when it comes to the presence of harmful substances or pathogens, can lead to adverse health outcomes.
Pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia and norovirus, which are contracted via fecal contamination from human or animal waste, can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses.
Additionally, chemicals like arsenic, lead, mercury and pesticides can cause cancer as well as both neurological and organ damage after long-term exposure.
Is Tap Water Safe To Drink?
Due to the EPA’s regulations, tap water in the U.S. is considered safe to drink.
However, rural or remote areas may rely on private wells, which are not regulated under the SDWA, and lead pipes in older homes can leach lead into the water …
