About Clean Water Index

Our Mission

Clean Water Index exists to make EPA drinking water compliance data easy to understand. Every public water system in the United States is required to meet safety standards set by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. When systems fail to meet these standards, violations are recorded in a federal database. We take that data and make it searchable by state and city.

How It Works

We collect data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and organize it by state and city so you can easily look up your local water quality. For a detailed explanation of our data sources, violation classification, and analysis methods, see our Methodology page.

What This Data Does Not Tell You

This data has important limitations you should understand:

• Historical record: Violation data includes the full historical record. A city with many violations may have resolved its water quality issues years ago.
• Private wells: SDWIS only covers public water systems. If you use a private well, this data does not apply to you.
• Current water quality: This site shows compliance violations, not real-time water quality measurements. Your water may contain contaminants below MCL levels that are still present.
• All contaminants: The EPA regulates about 90 contaminants. There are thousands of other substances that may be present in water but are not currently regulated.

Protecting Your Drinking Water

If you're concerned about your water quality:

• Request your water system's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which details exactly what's in your water
• Consider having your water independently tested by a certified laboratory
• Use an NSF-certified water filter appropriate for the contaminants of concern in your area
• Contact your local water utility directly for the most current information

Contact

Clean Water Index is an independent informational resource. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the EPA or any government agency. For questions, visit our contact page or email us at [email protected].