CDC - Drinking Water Home

National Drinking Water Week 2009 - The importance of tap water.
Household Drinking Water - Learn about filters, osmosis and purification methods.
Private Water Systems - Learn about private water systems like wells.

Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need a water filter, a check on water fluoridation, or an inspection to ensure a septic tank is not too close to a private well. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, and if it’s 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).

Healthy Water Home

Two types of Drinking Water Systems: Public and Individual

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).

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.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Private Drinking Water Wells. Available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/index2.html.
U.S. Census Bureau. National and State Population Estimates. Available at http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html.
Ten Great Public Health Achievements—United States, 1900–1999. MMWR, December 24, 1999;48(50):1141.

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