- National Drinking Water Week 2009 - The importance of tap water
- Ground Water Awareness Week 2009 - Time to schedule your well water checkup!
- Private Water Systems - Learn about private water systems like wells.
Water is basic to life and health. Every living thing on this planet needs water in order to survive.
Whether you receive your drinking water from the tap, via commercially-bottled water, or through a personal filtration device, it is important to know where your water comes from, how it has been treated, and whether it is safe to drink!
Drinking Water Topics
- Public Water Systems
- Quality & Testing,
- Regulations,
- Sources,
- Treatment...
- Water Fluoridation
- Benefits,
- Safety,
- Guidelines,
- Fact Sheets...
- Bottled Water
- Basics,
- Immunocompromised Individuals,
- Fluoride...
- Private Water Systems
- Wells (Basics, Testing, Treatment),
- Nonpublic Water Sources...
- Camping, Hiking, Travel
- Safe Drinking & Recreational Water,
- Illness...
Drinking Water Fast Facts
- All public water systems in the United States are required to follow the standards and regulations set by the EPA.
- EPA regulations that protect public water systems do not apply to privately owned wells or any other individual water system. Owners of private wells are responsible for ensuring that their well water is safe from contaminants.
- Community water fluoridation prevents tooth decay safely and effectively. Water fluoridation has been named one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century (4).
Drinking Water Systems
There are two types of drinking water systems in the United States. They are:
- Public water systems that are subject to United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
- Individual water systems that are not subject to EPA regulations.
According to the EPA, approximately 286 million Americans receive their tap water from a community water system. These public water systems are monitored and regulated as set by the EPA.
An estimated 15% of Americans, or about 45 million people, get their water from private ground water wells that are not subject to EPA regulations. Private ground water wells can provide safe, clean water. However, well water can also become contaminated, leading to illness. It is the responsibility of well owners to maintain and treat their well (1,2,3).
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Factoids: drinking water and ground water statistics for 2007. March 2008, April 2008. Available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/data/getdata.html.
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Private Drinking Water Wells. Available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/index2.html.
3. U.S. Census Bureau. National and State Population Estimates. Available at http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html.
4. Ten Great Public Health Achievements—United States, 1900–1999. MMWR, December 24, 1999;48(50):1141.
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Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - healthywater@cdc.gov
