122 Million Americans Have Cancer-Causing Toxins in Their Tap Water — This State Is the Worst
You might not love the taste of your tap water, but you probably don’t think it could be poisoning you as you brush your teeth or fill up your water bottle. Unfortunately, a new report from the EWG (Environmental Working Group) reveals some scary (and truly gross) things about our country’s water.
The EWG found that over 122 million Americans are consuming water that’s been contaminated with “high levels” of chemical carcinogens. The chain of events of how we got here is quite disturbing: Cow, pig, chicken, and turkey manure from factory farms gets into our public water systems fairly often, and when it comes in contact with the disinfectants used, cancer-causing byproducts like total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are created. The disinfectants, like chlorine, are necessary to prevent diseases like cholera and typhoid — but, we could make changes to how meat is produced in this country that would reduce the amount of animal waste getting into the water. Less waste mixing with the disinfectants would lead to fewer toxic byproducts.
While there are more things that can react with the disinfectants to create harmful substances, like plant debris, industrial chemicals, and human waste, manure runoff from industrial farms is a main source, and one it seems like we could have more control over.
“This crisis is preventable,” EWG’s Midwest director and author of the report Anne Schechinger said in the news release. “Farmers, regulators and policymakers must take the responsibility of ensuring that food production does not come at such a steep cost to public health.”
The Health Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the level of TTHMs allowed in our drinking water, but many public systems exceed the maximum level — which is already higher than the EWG’s recommended cap because of findings that TTHM consumption poses health risks at even lower amounts, including bladder and colorectal cancers. Issues during pregnancy are also linked with exposure to TTHMs, such as low birth weight, cardiovascular problems, skull and face defects, and even stillbirth.
The States With the Most Toxic Water
When pressed for drinking water contamination data from 2019 to 2023, 49 states and Washington DC tested at or above the max limit for TTHMs. The one state that didn’t was New Hampshire, but that’s only because it failed to provide the EWG with its data. The problem is sweeping, but you’ll find the most contamination concentrated in just 10 states, with one state surpassing all others by quite a lot. Texas had the most systems above the advised limit at 707, which serve over 8.6 million people. It’s also a state with a high volume of farm acreage and livestock, supporting the idea that animal feces is a main contributor to toxic water.
The top 10 states with the highest number of contaminated water systems are:
- Texas
- New York
- Oklahoma
- California
- Illinois
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Louisiana
- Kentucky
You can stay up to date on your area’s water safety with the EWG’s Tap Water Database — and if you don’t have one yet, it might be time to buy a water filter.
