A new study has revealed the states with the most unsafe drinking water, with New York being number one.
PFAS Water Experts analyzed data from the EPA on water quality violations in public water systems, PWS from 2019-2023. Any system providing water for human consumption is designated a PWS. There are 148,000 PWS in the United States.
Their analysis focused on health-based contaminants (long-term risks such as lead) and acute health based contaminants (those which pose immediate danger, such as E Coli), water quality violations.
PFAS identified the number of people in each state served by PWS with violations then compared these numbers to the states population average from 2019-2023. This revealed the states with the highest number on people affected by contaminated water.
Coming in at number one is the Empire State. Good Old New York.with 53.3% of the population served by PWS with health-based or acute-health based violations. The state reported 365,865 acute health based violations and 10,182,249 health based violations. This makes up 82.2% of all PWS violation in the state.
New Jersey ranked number 2, with 38.6% served with contaminated PWS lines. There were 1,279,034 acute health0based violations and 2,807,128 health based violations over a five year period. This accounts for 44.8% of the PWS violations in the state.
In third is Louisiana, with 36.5% affected. The state reported 319,056 acute health-based violations and 1,598, 546 health-based violations. This accounts for 62% of the PWS violations over the five years.
Maryland is in fourth place with 33.7%. There are 1,617, 783 acute health-based violations, and 451,556 health-based violations. Which represents 72.7% of PWS violations in the state.
Arizona comes in fifth with 31.2% affected. There were 1,727,204 acute health-based violations and 561,075 health-based violations. Making just 36.2% of the states total violations.
North Dakota had the safest drinking water with just 0.5% of the population served by PWS with health based of acute health based violations.
Andrew K Cobos, Attorney-at-Law and Chief Veteran Legal Counsel at PFAS Water Experts has commented;
“This research shows the difference in the quality of drinking water across different states, highlighting the states where people should be most concerned.
“New York’s population has the highest percentage by far. The New York State Department of Health says that 95% of the state’s population relies on public water systems for their drinking and household water supplies, compared to 87% in New Jersey, the state ranking second.
“Additionally, New York has one of the oldest water system infrastructures in the nation, with many of the system’s assets near or past their suggested useful lives, according to the New York State Comptroller. These factors could be part of the reason that the number of violations in New York is so high, suggesting that the state may require investment in its water infrastructure to help better protect public health.
“Drinking contaminated water can have both short and long-term health effects. Whether someone experiences health effects and how severe they are depends on things like the type and amount of contaminant, how much water they drink, how long they’re exposed, and their individual susceptibility.
“Knowing if you live in a higher-risk state allows you to act by requesting a water quality test or using filtration systems, for example. If you suspect contamination, reach out to your local water provider or the Environmental Protection Agency for more information on testing and safety measures.”