Start here
Your water source determines your first step.
Public-water customers can begin with utility data. Private-well owners need actual well testing because a public utility database does not describe their household water.
Public tap water
Check your water in four steps.
Search the EWG Tap Water Database
Enter your ZIP code or water utility name, then confirm that you selected the utility that actually serves your address.
Read the results carefully
Write down the contaminants detected and the reported levels. An EWG health guideline is not the same as an enforceable legal limit, and detection alone does not establish an immediate health emergency.
Confirm with your utility report
Review your most recent Consumer Confidence Report for the water source, regulated contaminants, violations, and current contact information.
Decide whether home testing is needed
Utility data describe the public system, not every home’s plumbing. Testing may be useful for lead concerns, changes in taste, odor, or color, or when your home uses a private well.
Private well
Private well? Test the water itself.
The EWG Tap Water Database is not a substitute for private-well testing. EPA recommends testing household wells annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, plus contaminants suggested by local conditions.
Mail-in testing option: National Testing Laboratories offers its WaterCheck testing kits. Confirm that the laboratory and test panel meet your state and local requirements before ordering.
Important reminders
Use water information safely.
- Boiling can kill many microorganisms during an emergency, but it does not remove lead, heavy metals, salts, or most other chemicals.
- Use cold tap water for drinking and cooking when lead is a concern; heating or boiling does not remove lead.
- A total dissolved solids reading does not identify every contaminant.
- Replace cartridges and membranes on the manufacturer’s schedule.