Hopefully, at this point, Americans have learned that they can’t trust their municipal water suppliers to deliver them clean water. From the Parkersburg, West Virginia PFAS to Flint, Michigan’s lead crisis, everyone should be filtering their water by now. However, many cities still have chemicals and carcinogens in the water supply that are over the safe limit—the types of contaminants included in the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.”
In this article, we’ve compiled the worst of the worst of the 200 largest cities in America. (Note the “largest;” hence no Flint, Michigan.) So read on to learn about the worst tap water in the United States.
Our Methodology: Our list of cities with contaminated water includes areas with “pollution potential,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the number of contaminants (such as chloroform, bromate, or trichloroacetic acid—all found to cause cancer) found in the local water, according to the Environmental Working Group. The “Dirty Water Score” was determined by calculating the number of contaminants found in the water of the city’s largest water utility, with greater weight given to those that exceeded the EWG’s health guidelines (established by a federal or state public health authority).
25. Reno, NV
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 14
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 46
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 46
Dirty Water Score: 57.42
24. Pomona, CA
Number of Contaminants: 10
Other Detected Contaminants: 18
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 56.73
23. Corona, CA
Number of Contaminants: 12
Other Detected Contaminants: 13
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 56.70
22. Arlington, TX
Number of Contaminants: 9
Other Detected Contaminants: 21
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 56.01
21. Bakersfield, CA
Number of Contaminants: 6
Other Detected Contaminants: 29
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 55.79
20. Fresno, CA
Number of Contaminants: 9
Other Detected Contaminants: 22
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 55.25
19. Irvine, CA
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 17
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 55.22
18. Grand Prairie, TX
Number of Contaminants: 9
Other Detected Contaminants: 22
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 55.01
17. Corpus Christi, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 17
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 54.98
16. Fort Worth, TX
Number of Contaminants: 10
Other Detected Contaminants: 20
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 54.49
15. Amarillo, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 18
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 53.98
14. Rockford, IL
Number of Contaminants: 12
Other Detected Contaminants: 17
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 10
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 2
Dirty Water Score: 52.70
13. Brownsville, TX
Number of Contaminants: 12
Other Detected Contaminants: 17
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 52.46
12. McKinney, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 20
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 51.98
11. El Paso, TX
Number of Contaminants: 10
Other Detected Contaminants: 23
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 51.49
10. Dallas, TX
Number of Contaminants: 10
Other Detected Contaminants: 23
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 51.49
9. McAllen, TX
Number of Contaminants: 12
Other Detected Contaminants: 18
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 51.46
8. Lubbock, TX
Number of Contaminants: 12
Other Detected Contaminants: 18
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 51.46
7. Frisco, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 21
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 50.98
6. Plano, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 21
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 50.98
5. Pasadena, CA
Number of Contaminants: 14
Other Detected Contaminants: 14
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 11
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 1
Dirty Water Score: 50.67
4. Irving, TX
Number of Contaminants: 10
Other Detected Contaminants: 24
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expenses: 6
Dirty Water Score: 50.49
3. Garland, TX
Number of Contaminants: 11
Other Detected Contaminants: 22
Rank of Number of Manufacturing Establishments/Sq. Mile: 30
Rank of the total Farm Ag. Chemical Expe