5-Minute Home Water Safety Checklist

Find Your Water Quality Report

Every public water system in the US is required to test and report contaminant levels to the EPA. You can look yours up in seconds using our free tool - just enter your ZIP code.

What to look for: total violations, health-based violations (the serious ones), and which specific contaminants were flagged.

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Check for These 5 Red-Flag Contaminants

Not all contaminants are equally dangerous. These five are the ones most likely to affect your family's health - especially children, pregnant women, and infants:

• Lead - No safe level for children. Causes irreversible brain damage. Common in homes built before 1986.
• PFAS (Forever Chemicals) - Found in 45%+ of US tap water. Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression.
• Chromium-6 - The "Erin Brockovich" chemical. Legal limit is 700x higher than what's considered safe by independent scientists.
• Disinfection Byproducts (THMs/HAAs) - Created when chlorine reacts with organic matter. Linked to bladder cancer and pregnancy complications.
• Nitrates - Dangerous for infants (blue baby syndrome). Common in agricultural areas.

Understand What "Legal" Really Means

Here's what most people don't know: EPA legal limits for contaminants haven't been updated in over 20 years for many chemicals. "Within legal limits" doesn't always mean safe.

For example, the EPA's legal limit for chromium-6 is 100 ppb. The California health goal (based on cancer risk) is 0.02 ppb - that's 5,000 times stricter.

When reviewing your water report, compare your levels to both the EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and the health guidelines from organizations like EWG, which often use more current research.

Choose a Filter That Matches Your Contaminants

The biggest mistake families make: buying a filter that doesn't remove what's actually in their water. A Brita pitcher removes chlorine taste but won't touch PFAS or lead in most cases.

Match your filter type to your needs:

• Reverse Osmosis (AquaTru, under-sink RO) - Removes virtually everything: lead, PFAS, chromium-6, nitrates, microplastics. Best overall protection.
• Activated Carbon Block (Clearly Filtered) - Good for PFAS, lead, and disinfection byproducts. More affordable than RO.
• Standard Pitcher (Brita, PUR) - Removes chlorine taste and some lead. Does NOT remove PFAS, chromium-6, or nitrates.

Take the Water Filter Quiz →

What to Do If You Rent

You can't install an under-sink system or whole-house filter in a rental - but you still have great options:

• Countertop RO (AquaTru) - No plumbing needed. Sits on your counter, plugs in, removes 84 contaminants. Take it when you move.
• Filter Pitcher (Clearly Filtered) - NSF-certified to remove PFAS and lead. Around $90 upfront, $60/year for replacement filters.
• Shower Filter - Reduces chlorine absorption through skin. Screws on in 2 minutes, no tools needed.